The Israeli military announced that seven of its personnel—an officer and six soldiers—were killed during clashes in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

In a statement released Wednesday (June 25), the military also confirmed that another soldier sustained critical injuries in a separate incident, also in the south of the enclave.

Israeli media reports indicate that the fatalities occurred in Khan Younis, where an explosive device detonated beneath a military vehicle, igniting it and leading to the soldiers' deaths.

The conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly assault on Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Since then, Israel's ongoing air and ground operations in Gaza have left over 56,000 Palestinians dead, as reported by the territory’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. 

The fighting has also displaced nearly the entire population of more than two million and worsened an already dire hunger crisis.

According to the Israeli military, 19 of its soldiers have died in combat operations in Gaza since the start of June.

Source: Agencies

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