Jerusalem: The Israeli military says seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in the southern Gaza Strip when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armoured vehicle while Palestinians health officials in the battered enclave reported that 79 people were killed in Israeli attacks across the strip Wednesday.
The attack on the Israeli troops, which occurred on Tuesday, was one of the deadliest for the army in Gaza in months, and quickly drew the nation’s attention back to the grinding conflict with the Hamas militant group after nearly two weeks of war between Israel and Iran.
Among the 79 reported killed in Gaza were 33 people who died while trying to access aid. Israel has been fighting in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. US-led ceasefire efforts have repeatedly stalled in the conflict. Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the army’s chief spokesman, said the soldiers were attacked in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where the army has operated on and off throughout much of the war.
“Helicopters and rescue forces were sent to the spot. They made attempts to rescue the fighters, but without success,” he said. The army said another soldier was seriously wounded in a separate incident in Khan Younis. It gave no further details, but Hamas claimed on its Telegram channel it had ambushed Israeli soldiers taking cover inside a residential building in the area.
Over 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the war began with the Octiber 7, 2023, Hamas attack, including more than 400 during the fighting in Gaza.
The initial Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Some 50 hostages remain in captivity, at least 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Some Palestinians in Gaza City expressed frustration Wednesday that the war in the territory has dragged on for nearly two years.