Israelis acknowledge death of two reservists in north Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media + Agencies
16 Jun 2024 21:43
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The Palestinian Resistance continues to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.

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Israeli soldiers carry the flag-draped casket of an IOF soldier who was killed during the Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip (AP)

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) announced on Sunday that two reservists were killed when their tank was attacked in northern Gaza over the weekend. Additionally, soldiers who died in a separate explosion in the southern part of the Strip have been identified.

Both soldiers were members of the 129th Battalion within the 8th Reserve Armored Brigade, as per the Israeli army.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported an explosion in a building involving several soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Later reports stated that a military helicopter arrived at Shaare Zedek Hospital in al-Quds carrying several wounded from the incident that occurred in Gaza earlier today.

This comes shortly after the IOF had reported the deaths of eight soldiers and officers caused by an explosive device that hit a Namer armored personnel carrier in the Tell al-Sultan refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Among the dead was the deputy commander of a company in the 601st Engineering Battalion.

Additionally, a company commander with the rank of major, along with three other soldiers, was killed in southern Gaza a few days ago.

With these latest casualties, the death toll of Israeli soldiers since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7 has risen to 661. This includes 311 soldiers killed since the beginning of the ground offensive in Gaza. Furthermore, 3,617 soldiers have been wounded, according to the army's published figures.

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The Palestinian Resistance killed eight Israeli occupation soldiers who were reportedly asleep in an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli media outlets reported on Saturday.

The news has emerged as Israeli occupation forces are launching an invasion into the western neighborhood of Tell al-Sultan in Rafah.

Relating a slightly different course of events but with the same end result, the al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement in which it announced that on the morning of the day of Arafat Day, its freedom fighters carried out a complex ambush against Israeli vehicles penetrating the area of the Saudi neighborhood in Tell al-Sultan, west of the city of Rafah.

The cab of a D9 military bulldozer, according to the Resistance group, was targeted by an al-Yassin 105 shell, causing it to catch fire and resulting in casualties among its crew.

Immediately upon the arrival of the rescue force, a Namer APC was targeted with an al-Yassin 105 shell, which led to its destruction and the killing of all its crew members.

However, according to Israeli media reports, the eight Israeli troops were burnt to death in the attack, which targeted a Namer-type APC in Rafah. Prior to al-Qassam's statement, it was reported that an unspecified anti-tank shell was fired at the APC, which led to an explosion and a fire in the vehicle, killing eight soldiers sleeping inside it.

The corpses of the soldiers were completely burnt, and the APC was destroyed, it was claimed. Among those killed was a combat officer in the Israeli occupation forces, Israeli media outlets reported later on Saturday.

It is worth noting that the Namer APC is one of the most advanced and heavily armored vehicles when compared to same-class vehicles internationally.