JERUSALEM, June 25 – An Israeli officer and six soldiers were killed when their armored vehicle struck an explosive device in the south of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said Wednesday.
The blast took place east of the city of Khan Younis, marking one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces since their ground offensive in Gaza began in October 2023. It came after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect on Tuesday after a 12-day conflict.
The military said the seven “fell during combat.” According to Israel’s state-owned Kan TV, the explosive was made against an armored personnel carrier (APC), which caught fire after the blast. Israeli troops at the scene reportedly used a D9 bulldozer to cover the burning vehicle with sand before towing it back into Israeli territory.
In another separate incident on Tuesday, a soldier from the 605th Battalion of the 188th Brigade was seriously wounded during a combat in southern Gaza, the military added.
The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement on its Telegram channel, the group said its fighters ambushed Israeli troops and targeted a rescue unit in a second assault. It said that one fighter crawled under the APC, planted an explosive device and detonated it.
The latest casualties have brought the Israeli military death toll in Gaza to 878 since October 2023, according to official figures. The Health authorities in Gaza said at least 56,077 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks during the same period.
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