- Explosion Kills Eight Israeli Troops: Soldiers died in Rafah during ongoing conflict
- High Casualties: Over 37,000 Palestinians killed since conflict started
- Calls for Ceasefire: US-backed proposal includes hostage release and end to hostilities
The troops were slain early Saturday morning while driving in a convoy after participating in a midnight battle against Hamas.
The Israeli military confirmed that eight Israeli troops were killed inside Gaza.
On Saturday morning, an explosion occurred in the southern city of Rafah, killing the military members.
It comes during Israel’s ongoing attack and attempts to recover the remaining hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7.
More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities.
Saturday’s event is the bloodiest for Israeli forces since January, when two buildings collapsed in central Gaza, killing 21.
According to The Times of Israel, the eight victims were driving in a convoy following a nocturnal attack against Hamas when they were killed inside an armoured vehicle.
One has been identified as Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion. The relatives of the remaining seven have been notified and will be named in due time.
Four Israeli troops were murdered on Monday when the building they were inspecting in Rafah collapsed.
Previously, on May 16, a so-called friendly-fire incident in Jabalia, northern Gaza, killed five troops and injured seven more.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel successfully returned four of its hostages last week, killing about 210 Palestinians, including several youngsters.
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The liberated captives were identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, and were taken from the Nova music festival on October 7.
The additional deaths are likely to increase calls for both parties to implement the US-backed ceasefire agreement, which the UN Security Council adopted on Monday.
The three-part proposal, described as Israeli by US President Joe Biden, demands the release of all remaining hostages as well as a temporary respite in hostilities to negotiate the second phase.
According to the resolution, this marks a “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza” and “a permanent end to hostilities”. The third section focuses on Gaza’s rehabilitation.
Hamas has stated that it is willing to work with mediators to implement the plan’s concepts.
