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The Israeli military has announced that eight soldiers including a high-ranking official have been killed while fighting Hamas forces in the Gaza strip.
Lieutenant Colonel Tomer Grinberg, 35, Major Roei Meldasi, 23, Major Moshe Avram Bar-On, 23, Sergeant Achia Daskal, 19, Captain Liel Hayo, 22, Major Ben Shelly, 26, Major Rom Hecht, 20 and Sergeant Oriya Yaakov, 19 died on Tuesday.
The servicemen were killed in a battle in the northern Gaza strip and another three seriously wounded as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on for the 67th day.
Seven soldiers died following the detonation of a bomb in the Shahja’iya neighborhood, marking the worst loss of life in a single incident for the Israeli Defense Force since the war broke out on October 7.
At least 112 Israeli soldiers have died since ground operations began in Gaza in late October. While 18,412 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli attacks since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Israeli military has announced that eight soldiers including a high-ranking official have been killed while fighting Hamas forces in the Gaza strip
Five of the Israeli soldiers killed in battle in the northern Gaza strip were in the Golani Brigade, including Lieutenant Colonel Grinberg who was the commander of the 13th Battalion.
Major Meldasi, a company commander in the 13th Battalion, Major Bar-On a company commander in the 51st Battalion, Sergeant Daskal a fighter in the 51st Battalion and Captain Hayo a platoon commander in the 51st Battalion were also killed.
Major Shelly and Major Rom Hecht of the Special Rescue Tactical Unit (669) died in the same battle in the Shahja’iya neighborhood.
The IDF also announced that Sergeant Yaakov a fighter in Battalion 614, the School of Combat Engineering lost his life in the northern Gaza strip.
Hamas fighters opened fire at the Golani forces in the area on Tuesday before the Israeli soldiers approached the source of the shooting.
A bomb was then detonated and several soldiers were wounded by the explosion and contact was lost.
Other Israeli forces attempted to rescue the servicemen with the help of the air force and artillery but a second bomb was detonated.
A third force attempted to locate the disconnected soldiers who were hurt in the battle.
It comes after the IDF announced on Tuesday that at least 105 Israeli soldiers have died since its ground offensive in the Gaza strip began in late October.
At least 20 of them were caused by accidents with 13 caused by friendly fire or internal fire from its own troops.
Another six died following accidents related to ‘weaponry, machinery, trampling’ with one death caused by firing irregularities.
Soldiers killed by friendly fire were mistakenly identified during airstrikes or died during tank shelling and gunfire, according to Times of Israel.
One soldier reportedly died in gunfire that was not intended to strike them and another two died in accidental misfires.
While two soldiers lost their lives in incidents after armored vehicles ran over troops, and two more were killed by shrapnel.
