Seven Israeli soldiers were injured overnight when an explosive device struck a Namer armored personnel carrier in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City, according to Israeli Army Radio on Saturday.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the vehicle belonged to the 99th Division and the 7th Brigade, operating in the northern Gaza Strip. Local Palestinian sources described fierce overnight confrontations between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli invading units attempting to advance into the area.

Furthermore, Israeli media described the incident in al-Zaytoun as one of the most serious since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. Several soldiers were reported killed, 11 critically wounded, and four remain unaccounted for, feared captured by the Palestinian resistance.

Following the attack, Israeli invading units withdrew from the area. A publication ban was imposed on the fate of the missing soldiers, according to Israeli military censors.

Three major incidents across Gaza

Late Friday night, Israeli media confirmed that the army sustained three major operational setbacks across the Gaza Strip, triggering large-scale evacuations via helicopter. The incidents occurred in:

• Al-Zaytoun, southeast of Gaza City, where an ambush reportedly led to casualties and an attempted capture of Israeli soldiers.

• Al-Sabra, south of Gaza City.

• Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Each location witnessed intense face-to-face combat between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli invading units.

Al-Zaytoun: Fiercest fighting since October 7

The heaviest confrontation unfolded in al-Zaytoun, which Israeli outlets described as “one of the most difficult events since October 7, 2023.” Resistance fighters ambushed a unit from the "Nahal" Brigade, killing at least one soldier and wounding others.

In a second ambush, fighters reportedly attempted to capture IOF, triggering massive searches for four missing troops. Israeli media said the army had not issued an official statement, while mortar fire from the resistance hindered occupation search operations.

مشاهد من محيط الحدث الأمني في #حي_الزيتون قبل قليل#الميادين pic.twitter.com/pfnK08IwnG

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 30, 2025

In response, the IOF reportedly activated the "Hannibal Directive" in al-Zaytoun to prevent the capture of soldiers. Confrontations in the neighborhood continued into the early hours of Saturday as more resistance fighters joined the battle.

Occupying Gaza will cost 'Israel' its soldiers: Abu Obeidah

In a related development, the Al-Qassam Brigades posted a brief message on their official Telegram channel, declaring: "We remind those who forget, death or capture." 

On his part, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stated that the Israeli military would pay a hefty price for its plans to occupy Gaza City with the blood of its soldiers, which would also increase the chances of more troops being captured.

In a post on Telegram on Friday, Abu Obeida warned that these plans to occupy Gaza would spell disaster for "Israel" on both the political and military levels. The military spokesperson further emphasized that the al-Qassam freedom fighters are fully prepared, maintaining high morale, and ready to demonstrate extraordinary examples of heroism and steadfastness, teaching the invaders a harsh lesson.

He stated that "the war criminals, Netanyahu and his Nazi ministers, have deliberately and insistently decided to reduce the number of living prisoners by half and to make the bodies of most of their captured dead disappear forever, for which the enemy's army and its terrorist government will bear full responsibility."