War between Israel and Hamas: Israeli soldiers killed in deadly attack in Gaza

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

Israel launched a Air and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip 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, the Israeli offensive has killed over 37,000 Palestinians. It has also triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where over 80% of the population has been displaced. Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting are hampering efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, fuelling widespread hunger.

The explosion on Saturday occurred in Rafah, a city in the south Israel has identified the city as Hamas’ last major stronghold. In early May, the country sent ground troops to the city, but gave no indication as to when the operation would 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.

The military 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 it was caused by either an explosive device planted by Hamas or an anti-tank missile.

“We must defeat Hamas’ Rafah Brigade and we are doing so with determination,” he said.

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

President Joe Biden A new ceasefire proposal was put forward earlier this month, which calls for the release of the approximately 120 hostages still held 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 his dual goal of destroying Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities.

“Today we have paid another heartbreaking price in our just war to defend the homeland,” Netanyahu said on Saturday. “It is with deep sadness, in heavy grief, that I bow my head together with all the citizens of Israel and mourn the fall of our heroic warriors.”

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.

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

“More than 120 hostages are still there and I can’t feel so happy about this situation because I was rescued and they were not,” he said, according to the Hostages Families Forum headquarters. “I ask that they be brought home as soon as possible. Israel, world, Hamas, I ask you to make a deal as soon as possible.”

At a weekly meeting of hostages’ relatives in Tel Aviv, Rotem Kalderon, son of hostage Ofer Kalderon, said he was not prepared to “live in a world full of death.”

“I am not prepared to live in a country whose government sends us to the borders to fight in wars and abandons us in the end,” he said. “I am not prepared to live without a father.”

The deadly explosion also occurred days after Netanyahu’s coalition voted to extend the controversial exemptions from conscription to 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.

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 underlines that we need a change,” said Amir Schnabel, one of the protesters. “We cannot live with this reality for long. If eight soldiers were killed today, more will be killed the next day and the day after. And the only way to change anything is to protest and overthrow the government, and we must do that as soon as possible.”

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.