Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion in the south of Gaza on Saturday, June 15 (Ghabrugoli 26), while they were traveling in a bullet-proof vehicle.
The Israeli army said in a statement that these soldiers were killed during the operation and the families of the dead soldiers were informed.
The spokesman of the army, Daniyal Hagari, said that the explosion occurred near the town of Rafah early in the morning local time. He said that the explosion was caused by the explosives placed by Hamas militants or by anti-tank missiles that hit the anti-bullet vehicle in which these soldiers were riding.
Saturday’s blast was one of the deadliest for Israeli forces.
306 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October of last year, when the Israeli forces began offensive operations against Hamas militants in Gaza.
The Israeli army also said that its soldiers have captured many weapons in Rafah in tunnels and other places built by the Hamas group.
Reports from the area said that Israeli forces killed at least 19 Palestinians around Rafah town.
Israeli forces have been in Gaza for the past few weeks to eliminate Hamas
The war between Israeli forces in Gaza began on October 11 last year, when Hamas militants suddenly attacked Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Israel says that it has killed 30,000 people so far in the war against Hamas in Gaza, most of whom they say are armed, but the Ministry of Public Health of Gaza, under the control of Hamas, says that 37,296 people have been killed in the war. Most of the dead are women and children.
These Israeli soldiers were killed when a cease-fire has not yet been agreed to stop the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The proposal for a cease-fire, which the President of the United States revealed for the first time last month, was accepted by Israel, and the United Nations Security Council also accepted it by an overwhelming majority in a resolution drafted by the United States. was
The military branch of Islamic Jihad – Al-Quds Brigade said in a Hamas meeting on Saturday that the hostages will be handed over to Israel only on the condition that it stops its war in Gaza and completely withdraws its soldiers from this territory.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the only way to release the hostages is to defeat the Hamas group.
White House National Security Council Advisor Jack Sullivan also said on Saturday that Qatari and Egyptian mediators are trying to work together with Hamas militants to determine whether there are possibilities for an agreement.
America, Egypt and Qatar, the main mediators in the peace talks, have been negotiating for a ceasefire in Gaza for several months.
During a one-week ceasefire in November, Hamas released more than 100 hostages.