5 Israeli soldiers in Gaza are killed in a friendly fire incident

Israeli tank fire killed five of Israel’s own soldiers in Gaza, a military spokesman said Thursday. It was the latest so-called friendly fire incident since Israel invaded the enclave in October.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said at a news conference that the men were killed by tank fire on Wednesday while fighting in a densely populated area of ​​the territory.

“A friendly fire incident occurred – five soldiers were killed,” he said, adding: “The incident is currently under review.”

The Jerusalem Post reported that the men were killed and seven soldiers were wounded when two tanks opened fire in Gaza City, in the territory’s north. The Israeli military later gave the names of the five, who were part of the paratrooper brigade, on its website.

The bulk of Israeli forces began withdrawing from the northern Gaza Strip earlier this year, with Israel saying it had defeated Hamas battalions in the area. But in recent weeks Israeli troops have returned to the north, including Gaza City, to fight Hamas fighters who they said had regrouped.

According to the military, about 278 Israeli soldiers have died in Gaza since the military offensive began more than seven months ago. In December it was said that a fifth of the 105 soldiers killed so far had died in accidents and that 13 of those deaths were the result of friendly fire.