JERUSALEM. The Israeli military reported on Saturday that eight of its soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip as operations around the city of Rafah intensified. Concurrent airstrikes in Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians.
Hamas’s armed wing claimed responsibility for ambushing an armored personnel carrier in the Tel Al-Sultan area, west of Rafah, which has been a focal point of Israeli advances. Israeli forces have been engaged in this area for weeks, resulting in continuous clashes.
As Israeli tanks advanced in Tel Al-Sultan, shells impacted the coastal area, prompting thousands of Palestinians, many already displaced multiple times, to seek refuge. Despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire, no agreement appears imminent after over eight months of conflict since October.
In Gaza City suburbs, Israeli airstrikes on two houses killed at least 15 people, with four more casualties reported in separate southern attacks, according to medical sources. The Israeli military also announced the capture of significant weaponry in Rafah, including those hidden in Hamas’s tunnels.
The military detailed that on Friday, militants fired five rockets from a humanitarian zone in central Gaza. Two landed in Israel and three fell within Gaza. The military criticized this tactic, stating, “This is a further example of the cynical exploitation of humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population as human shields by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip for their terrorist attacks.”
Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, stated in a Telegram video that Israel must end the war and withdraw forces from Gaza to recover its hostages. Islamic Jihad, a smaller ally of Hamas, referenced the October 7 rampage where over 250 hostages were taken, with more than 100 believed to remain captive.
Repeated attempts at a ceasefire since a week-long truce in November have failed, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the conflict and full Israeli withdrawal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on continuing until Hamas is eradicated.
The Gaza health ministry reports at least 37,296 Palestinian deaths in the ongoing Israeli military campaign, including 30 in the past 24 hours.
An initial IDF probe revealed that the eight soldiers were killed inside a Namer armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV) in a convoy targeted around 5 a.m. following an overnight offensive. The vehicle was hit by a significant explosion, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether it was a planted bomb or an explosive device placed by Hamas operatives.
The deaths of these soldiers bring the toll of IDF casualties to 307 since the start of the ground offensive. Additionally, a police officer died in a recent hostage rescue, and a civilian Defense Ministry contractor was also killed in the conflict.
The deadliest incident for Israeli soldiers this year occurred in January, when a blast following Hamas RPG fire killed 21 soldiers by collapsing two buildings.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
