Two soldiers of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) were killed and at least six others wounded in separate attacks during ongoing military raids in the southern Gaza Strip, according to an official statement from the occupation military.

The incidents unfolded in the Jenina neighborhood of Rafah, where confrontations remain fierce between the occupation and Palestinian Resistance groups.

The two soldiers were identified as Sgt. Yishai Elyakim Urbach, 20, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ 605th Battalion, from Zikhron Ya’akov, and Staff Sgt. Yam Frid, 21, of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Sal’it.

According to an initial military investigation, Hamas fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at a building housing occupation troops, causing part of the structure to collapse. The blast killed Sgt. Urbach and wounded two others, one seriously and the other moderately.

Second fatal strike targets armored vehicle hours later

Roughly two hours after the first operation, an explosive device struck an armored personnel carrier operating in the same area of Rafah. The blast resulted in the death of Staff Sgt. Frid and wounded four additional soldiers, three of whom were listed in serious condition by occupation medical teams.

The twin incidents highlight the growing intensity of confrontations in southern Gaza, particularly in Rafah, where occupation forces continue ground and air assaults while facing mounting resistance from Palestinian fighters.

Al-Qassam launches 'Gates of Hell' operations across Rafah

On Wednesday, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for several high-impact attacks on Israeli occupation forces. Al-Qassam confirmed that Resistance fighters had targeted a fortified Israeli unit inside a house near the al-Mashrou junction, east of Rafah, using two TBG rockets. The fighters then stormed the site and eliminated the remaining soldiers with light weapons at close range.

The operations are part of al-Qassam’s “Gates of Hell” campaign, which has also extended into Khan Younis. 

In a second operation in the same area, al-Qassam Resistance fighters lured an Israeli infantry patrol into a pre-set ambush. The patrol, consisting of ten soldiers and two military dogs, was trapped in a zone rigged with multiple explosive devices. As soon as the soldiers entered, the explosives were detonated, causing fatalities and injuries, which prompted the deployment of Israeli helicopters for evacuation, a move closely monitored by the fighters.

Escalating atrocities amid humanitarian collapse

The deadly clashes come as international outrage grows over the Israeli occupation’s conduct in Gaza. On May 5, a video circulated online showing Israeli occupation soldiers blowing up a Palestinian house in Gaza for a gender reveal event, sparking renewed condemnation over the dehumanization of Palestinian civilians and the normalization of violence.

Meanwhile, according to Quds News Network, the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah has warned of catastrophic shortages in essential medicines and food.

Over 75% of life-saving drugs are reportedly unavailable due to the continued March 2 closure of border crossings by the brutal Israeli occupation, pushing Gaza’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

The United Nations has described the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as the worst since the beginning of the genocide.