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

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

The attack, which comes more than eight months into a bitter war that shows few signs of ending soon, was likely to fuel renewed calls for a ceasefire from Israeli protesters. It also comes as the government faces widespread anger over exemptions from military service granted to young ultra-Orthodox men.

Israel launched an air and ground invasion of Gaza in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas and other militants on October 7 that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. It also triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where more than 80 percent of the population has been displaced and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hampered efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, fueling widespread hunger.

Saturday’s explosion took place in Rafah, a southern city that Israel has identified as the last major Hamas stronghold. It sent ground troops to the city in early May and has given no indication when the operation will end.

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

The army said the explosion occurred shortly after 5 a.m. in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said the incident was caused by either an explosive planted by Hamas or an anti-tank missile.

“We must defeat the Rafah Brigade of Hamas and we are doing it with determination,” he said.

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

President Joe Biden unveiled a new ceasefire proposal earlier this month that aims to free the approximately 120 hostages remaining in Gaza and end the fighting. Although the international community has largely embraced the plan, Israel and Hamas have expressed reservations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not stop the war until it achieves the twin goals of destroying Hamas’s military and government capabilities.

“Today we paid another heartbreaking price in our just war in defense of the homeland,” Netanyahu said Saturday. “With deep sadness, in deep mourning, I bow my head with all the citizens of Israel and mourn the fall of our heroic warriors. »

The inconclusive war has divided Israeli public opinion, with tens of thousands taking to the streets every Saturday evening to call on the government to reach a deal that would bring the hostages home. The Israeli government has already declared more than 40 of the hostages held by Hamas dead, and officials fear that number could rise the longer they remain in captivity.

At a rally Saturday evening, participants watched a video message from Andrey Kozlov, who was rescued from Hamas captivity a week ago.

“More than 120 hostages are still there, and I cannot feel all the happiness of this situation because I was rescued and they were not,” he said, according to the headquarters of the Hostage Families Forum . “I ask to bring them home as soon as possible. Israel, the world, Hamas, I ask you to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Speaking at the weekly gathering of hostages’ relatives in Tel Aviv, Rotem Kalderon, son of hostage Ofer Kalderon, said he was not ready “to live in a world full of death.”

“I’m not ready to live in a country with a government that sends us to settle on borders and fight wars and then abandons us,” he said. “I’m not ready to live without a father.”

The deadly explosion also comes days after Netanyahu’s coalition voted to extend controversial exemptions from military conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

Although the vote was only procedural, it caused an outcry at a time when Israel continues to battle Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah militants along the country’s northern border with Lebanon and the number deaths continue to climb. More than 600 soldiers have been killed in fighting since October 7, according to the army.

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

The government is still under orders to pass a new bill.

Most Jewish men and women are required to serve in the military starting at age 18. Exemptions for religious men have long been a source of contention among the general public.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was the only member of Netanyahu’s coalition to vote against this week’s legislation. Gallant, a member of the country’s war cabinet, insisted that all sectors of Israeli society contribute equally in its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

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

At an anti-government demonstration on Saturday, thousands of people demanded new elections and the release of the hostages.

“The fact that eight soldiers were killed today only highlights the fact that we need change,” said Amir Schnabel, one of the protesters. “We will not be able to live with this reality for long. If eight soldiers were killed today, others will be killed the next day and the day after tomorrow. And the only way to make change is to simply protest and bring down the government, and we need to do that as soon as possible. »

Months of ceasefire negotiations 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 were “feasible” and some of which were not.

Hamas has repeatedly called for a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as part of any deal that would see the release of the hostages. Although the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden includes these two provisions, Hamas has expressed concern over Israel’s commitment to respect them.

Meanwhile, violence has erupted in the West Bank since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. On Saturday, a 16-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces near the northern city of Nablus, the Ramallah-based Health Ministry said. An Israeli security official confirmed that Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who threw stones at soldiers during a counterterrorism operation in the area. He spoke on condition of anonymity, pending an official announcement from the army.