by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Seven Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday when their armored combat engineering vehicle was struck by an explosive device in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis–marking one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces in months.
According to an initial investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a Hamas militant planted the explosive on a Puma armored vehicle operated by the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. The blast ignited a fire that engulfed the vehicle, and all seven soldiers inside perished. Rescue helicopters and emergency crews were dispatched but were unable to save the trapped soldiers. The charred remains of the vehicle were later extracted from Gaza.
The fallen soldiers were identified as:
- Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, of Kfar Yona
- Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, of Rehovot
- Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, of Elyakhin
- Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, of Mazkeret Batya
- Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, of Ashkelon
- Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, of Eshhar
- Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, of Kiryat Yam
All served in the 605th Battalion.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush. In a separate incident nearby, two other soldiers were wounded–one seriously–when their D9 armored bulldozer came under RPG fire.
The deaths brought the number of Israeli troops killed in Gaza and along the border since ground operations began to 440. More than 860 Israeli soldiers have died since Hamas launched its surprise October 7, 2023 assault, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences, calling the fallen “heroic soldiers” who gave their lives “to defeat Hamas and free our hostages.” Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this, praising their mission and sacrifice. President Isaac Herzog mourned the loss, writing on X that “the burden is unbearable” and offering prayers for the wounded.
The Kfar Yona Municipality, mourning Lt. Yashinovski, said it would remember “his smile, his values and his huge love for Israel.”
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the grueling conflict with Hamas, just as a 12-day war with Iran came to a halt under a fragile ceasefire.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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