Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in an ‘explosion’ in southern Gaza on Saturday, June 15.
According to CNN, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also confirmed the incident, saying early findings suggested that an armoured vehicle carrying soldier was hit by an explosion at around 5:15 a.m. local time during an operation.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a press conference Saturday, “According to the information we have at this point, one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy was involved in an explosion that was apparently caused by explosive devices planted in the area or as a result of anti-tank missile fire.”
As per the IDF, “The current assessment is that the ‘Nemera’ armored vehicle got hit as a result of an explosion of a side bomb. In addition, on the vehicle, there were engineering tools that included explosive materials."
It further added, “The explosion was significant and may have been caused by the ignition of the explosive material on the vehicle. All this is not supposed to happen, and therefore the incident is being examined.”
The defense forces noted that it is one of the deadliest incidents involving its soldiers since the beginning of the war on October 7.
Hagari also said, “Today we received another painful reminder of the price of war and that brave warriors and heroes were willing to sacrifice their lives for the state of Israel.”
Meanwhile, Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, claimed that its soldiers ‘carried out a complex ambush against enemy vehicles’ in the Saudi neighbourhood of Tal as-Sultan district, western Rafah city.
