On Monday, the Israeli military confirmed the tragic loss of twenty-one soldiers in southern Gaza, marking the largest single casualty incident for Israeli troops since the conflict with Hamas began. Although specific details remain unclear, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm.
Daniel Hagari stated in a televised address on Tuesday that an Israeli tank, guarding troops, was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), resulting in the reported deaths of two soldiers inside. Concurrently, two two-story buildings collapsed due to an explosion, claiming the lives of the majority of Israeli forces in or around the structures, as explained by Hagari.
“The buildings probably exploded because of the mines that our forces laid there, in preparation to demolish them and the infrastructure around,” he said.
The recent incident brings the overall count of Israeli troops lost in the Gaza ground invasion to 219, according to Israel’s military.
Additionally, another soldier sustained serious injuries in the same event, as mentioned by Hagari. As of Tuesday, the IDF informed iCASTER that the cause of the building explosion is still uncertain.