Eight Israeli soldiers killed in southern Gaza during deadly incident

Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in a deadly incident on Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces announced. 

The IDF told CNN that the incident is currently under investigation and the cause is being looked into.

“The current assessment is that the ‘Nemera’ armored vehicle got hit as a result of an explosion of a side bomb. In addition, on the vehicle there were engineering tools that include explosive materiel. The explosion was significant and may have been caused by the ignition of the explosive materiel on the vehicle. All this is not supposed to happen and therefore the incident is being examined,” the IDF said.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Capt. Wassem Mahmoud, 23, and seven other IDF soldiers were killed when their armored vehicle exploded in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to the soldiers Saturday evening.  

"Our hearts shatter into pieces at the enormity of this loss. The entire nation of Israel embraces the precious families in their time of deep sorrow. I strengthen our courageous fighters and commanders, who are dedicated to the sacred mission of defeating our enemies and bringing back our," he said. 

"When the price is so heavy, we must remember what we are fighting for: we are fighting to ensure our existence and our future, we are fighting to bring back all our hostages," Netanyahu continued.

“Eight of our best sons were killed in Rafah,” Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz wrote on the social media platform, X. “While knowing the price, they bravely entered Gaza to complete the mission of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.”

CNN reports that this is one of the deadliest incidents involving troops since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack into Israel by Hamas. 

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports that 30 people have been killed and 95 injured in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.