21 Israeli soldiers have been killed after a missile struck a booby-trapped building in Gaza on Monday, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has announced. The IDF is still investigating the cause of the blast, but it is believed to have been caused by a double strike fired at a building in southern Gaza where mines were being set up.
The soldiers were in the process of booby-trapping the building in Khan Younis to blow it up.
It has been referred to as one of the worst individual incidents in the war for Israel. An Israeli source said: “A very tragic event today in Gaza. Probably the worst since the ground maneuver has started.”
Rescue efforts continued for several hours following the explosion.
The IDF’s engineering forces were booby-trapping ten two-story buildings, located just over half a kilometer from the Gaza border. A Hamas fighter reportedly emerged from a tunnel shaft and fired the RPG at a tank that was safeguarding the soldiers, killing two.
A further missile was then fired into the building, triggering the explosives with the soldiers still inside.
Clashes between Israeli and Palestinian fighters have ramped up in Khan Younis in recent days. Critics of Israel have accused them of going back on their word after they told Palestinians to shelter in the southern city as one says it has become “hell on earth”.
There is growing concern for Nasser Hospital in the city – Gaza’s largest remaining hospital.
Jagan Chapagain, the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the shelling “increases the risks to the lives of staff & volunteers” of the Red Crescent who work from the hospital.
“I repeat my call to ensure protection of civilians, humanitarian aid workers, ambulances, and health facilities,” he added.
The fighting is reportedly getting closer to the hospital.
The Hamas-led health ministry claims at least 65 Palestinians were killed in the city yesterday. Residents say tanks had surrounded a hospital and university where thousands of displaced people were sheltering.
Ambulances were also trapped and unable to reach the wounded, reports claim. The IDF insists Hamas leaders are sheltering in the city.
