Eight Israeli soldiers killed in southern Gaza Strip, IDF says: Latest news

The explosion damaged the vehicle but may have ignited the ammunition inside, Israeli military officials said, adding that the shock wave was so strong that locating and identifying the bodies was difficult.

Israel has been fighting in Gaza for more than eight months since the October 7 Hamas-led attack, which killed around 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and took about 250 hostage. According to Palestinian health officials, who do not distinguish between fighters and civilians, more than 36,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began.

Hamas is waging a tenacious guerrilla war, resisting Israeli efforts to definitively defeat the organization, overthrow its leaders and release many of those kidnapped during the October 7 surprise attack. According to the Israeli military, an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 militants have been killed in the Gaza campaign. Israeli officials have provided no evidence to support this calculation.

More than 300 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza in late October. In late January, about 20 Israeli soldiers were killed as they prepared to demolish buildings in Gaza near the border with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly mourned the deaths of the soldiers and called on Israel to remain true to its military goals: the destruction of Hamas, the repatriation of the hostages and “ensuring that Gaza can no longer pose a threat to Israel.”

“There is no substitute for victory,” Netanyahu said, adding: “Let no one distract you from the simple and clear fact: We must remain faithful to the war aims, regardless of the high and painful price we must pay for them.”

Sections of the Israeli public, the families of the hostages held in Gaza and former security officials have criticized Netanyahu. Some argue that only an agreement with Hamas will release the remaining 120 living and dead prisoners; others say Netanyahu is trapped in a holding pattern in Gaza because he has not articulated a clear alternative to Hamas after the war.

Israeli forces freed four hostages in a rescue operation in central Gaza last weekend, which local health officials said also killed numerous Gazans. Admiral Hagari praised the operation, but added: “We have to be honest – we cannot bring everyone home this way.”

Israeli forces have moved ever closer to Rafah in recent weeks, combing the border area with Egypt to destroy tunnels that Hamas allegedly uses to smuggle weapons into Gaza. They have also carried out raids in the city itself. The United Nations estimates that more than a million Palestinians have fled Rafah.

In the northern town of Beit Jann, which is inhabited by Arab Israelis who belong to the Druze faith, residents mourned Waseem Mahmoud, one of the fallen soldiers. The Druze occupy an unusual middle position in Israel: They are Arab followers of a minority religion who usually serve in Israel’s military and security forces.

Residents of the city had planned to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated by both Muslims and Druze, but in light of the news, all public celebrations were canceled, said Nazih Dabour, the city’s mayor.

“We cannot bury our children and celebrate on the same day,” said Mr Dabour, who paid a condolence visit to the family on Saturday. “It is a great tragedy for us.”