Israel’s army suffers heavy casualties in an operation that ends with the collapse of two buildings and the deaths of 21 soldiers.
For Israel’s army, it was the most costly operation in the Gaza war to date: according to the military, 21 soldiers were killed during their operation. Two buildings exploded and collapsed, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said after a news blackout was lifted.
The emergency services were therefore near the houses. They would have mined both buildings in order to finally blow them up. The explosions are probably a result of the mines. The cause of the detonation is being investigated, Hagari said. At the same time, in the incident on Monday afternoon, Palestinians fired a rocket at a tank that was supposed to protect the soldiers.
It was the highest number of Israeli soldiers killed in a single incident since the start of the war. The army has now informed the families of all those affected.
“Unbearably difficult morning”
Israeli President Izchak Herzog spoke of an “unbearably difficult tomorrow”. Behind every soldier killed there is a family whose world has collapsed, he wrote on the platform X (formerly Twitter). The fighting took place in a challenging environment, Herzog continued to remind.
There has recently been an increase in fierce fighting and Israeli attacks, particularly in the area of the city of Khan Yunis, in which many Palestinians have also been killed. Israel suspects that the leadership of the Islamist Hamas and Israeli hostages are in the tunnel network.
220 soldiers killed since the start of the war
According to the military, 220 soldiers have been killed since the Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip began at the end of October. More than 1,200 others were injured. Since October 7th, 556 soldiers have been killed.
During the same period, more than 25,000 people died as a result of the military operation, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health authority. More than 63,000 more people were injured. This information cannot currently be independently verified.
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations on October 7th in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
