5 Soldiers Killed and 14 Injured in an Ambush North of Gaza

SadaNews - Five Israeli soldiers were killed and at least 14 others were injured in a large operation carried out by resistance fighters in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, according to a statement from the Israeli army this morning, Tuesday, after Israeli media reported last night that 5 soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured.

The incident occurred late last night when resistance fighters detonated an explosive device in an armored vehicle carrying soldiers and then targeted a robot loaded with ammunition with an anti-tank missile while it was being prepared.

The resistance also targeted the Israeli rescue force that rushed to the scene of the incident, while residents of Ashkelon heard the sound of the "big explosion," according to Israeli media, which reported that one of the injured is a high-ranking officer.

Israeli media reported missing soldiers after the incident but later confirmed that their bodies were completely burned, stating that this event is one of the toughest incidents faced by the soldiers since the beginning of the war.

The targeted soldiers belong to the "Yahalom" engineering unit that is involved in booby-trapping and blowing up the homes of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Occupation helicopters appeared at the scene to transport the wounded and fired heavily. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the situation remains ongoing and developing, with one soldier still missing and some vehicles on fire.

Israeli media confirmed that the site of the incident is witnessing utter chaos in the field, noting that the targeted unit belongs to the Nitzach Yehuda battalion, which includes Ultra-Orthodox Jews.

They stated that the ambush was well-coordinated, where the first device targeted a tank, while the second device targeted the rescue force, and a third targeted an additional rescue force, followed by a fourth device and gunfire from light weapons at all those who were injured at the beginning of the attack.

Several sites have been allocated for helicopter landings at different hospitals, while the Southern Command of the Israeli army has initiated an investigation into the incident. It was noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, was briefed on the incident while he was at the White House, as reported by Israeli media.

At the same time, sirens sounded in the communities around Gaza in anticipation of rockets being launched from the strip.

After the operation, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, stated that the corpses and funerals of Israelis would become a continual and ongoing event as long as the aggression against Gaza continues, adding, "We will cement the prestige of your army."

Last June was the deadliest month for the occupation army, as 20 soldiers and officers were killed and others were injured, as confirmed by Israeli media last week.

Ten days ago, the Israeli occupation army acknowledged the killing of an officer and six soldiers in battles in southern Gaza, following Israeli media reports about the killing of 4 soldiers and the injury of 17 in an ambush directed at occupation soldiers in Khan Younis in the south of the strip.

Last week, the resistance carried out 3 operations within 3 hours against the 98th Israeli force that reached Shujaiya north of the strip, resulting in the death of one soldier and the injury of 8 others from the elite "Egoz" unit, including 3 in critical condition.