8 Israeli soldiers killed in southern Gaza Strip in deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months

JACK JEFFERY, Associated Press

20 mins ago

FILE – Israeli army bulldozers are seen near the Gaza border in southern Israel, Thursday, June 13, 2024. The Israeli military said Saturday, June 15, that eight soldiers were killed in southern Gaza in the deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

JERUSALEM (AP) — An explosion in the southern Gaza Strip killed eight Israeli soldiers, the military said Saturday, making it the deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months.

The attack comes more than eight months into a grueling war that shows little sign of ending any time soon. It is likely to fuel Israeli protesters’ calls for a ceasefire and comes as the government faces widespread anger over the exemption of young ultra-Orthodox men from military service.

Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas and other militants on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostage. According to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters, over 37,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli offensive. In addition, the offensive triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza: over 80 percent of the population has been displaced, and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting are hampering efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, leading to widespread hunger.

Saturday’s explosion occurred in Rafah, a southern city that Israel describes as Hamas’ last major stronghold. Israel sent ground troops to the city in early May but gave no indication when the operation will end.

“They knew they might have to sacrifice their lives, but they did it so that we could live in this country. I greet them and hug their families,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

In January, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in a single attack by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

President Joe Biden unveiled a new ceasefire proposal earlier this month that would see the release of some 120 hostages in Gaza and an end to the fighting. While the international community has largely welcomed the plan, both Israel and Hamas have expressed concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not end the war until he has achieved the twin goals of destroying Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.

The inconclusive war has divided Israeli public opinion. Every Saturday night, tens of thousands of people take to the streets to demand that the government reach an agreement to release the hostages. The Israeli government has already declared more than 40 of the hostages held by Hamas dead, and authorities fear that number could rise the longer they remain in captivity.

Further protests were planned for later on Saturday.

The deadly explosion occurred just days after Netanyahu’s coalition voted to expand the controversial exemption from conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

Although the vote was purely procedural, it caused uproar at a time when Israel continues to battle Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah fighters on the country’s northern border with Lebanon, and the death toll continues to rise. The military says more than 600 soldiers have been killed in fighting since October 7.

Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered an end to state subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the army. But Netanyahu’s government, which includes politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, has found ways to keep the money flowing to religious institutions.

The government is still required to pass a new bill.

Most Jewish men and women are required to serve in the military from the age of 18. The exceptions for religious men have long been controversial among the general public.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was the only member of Netanyahu’s coalition to vote against the bill this week. Gallant, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, has insisted that all parts of Israeli society must make an equal contribution in the war against Hamas militias in the Gaza Strip.

If Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox partners leave the government, the country would be forced to hold new elections – at a time when Netanyahu’s popularity is low and his prospects for re-election are questionable.

Months of negotiations over a ceasefire have failed to find common ground between Israel and Hamas. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas had proposed changes to a US-backed plan, some of which he said were “workable” but others were not.

Hamas has repeatedly called for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as part of a deal that would result in the release of the hostages. While the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden includes both of these provisions, Hamas has expressed concerns about whether Israel will abide by it.

Meanwhile, violence has flared up again in the West Bank since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out. On Saturday, a 16-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces near the northern city of Nablus, the Health Ministry in Ramallah said. An Israeli security official confirmed that Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who threw stones at troops during an anti-terror operation in the area. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official statement from the army.