Monday was the deadliest day for the Israeli army since its ground offensive in Gaza began on October 27. The Israeli army announced on Tuesday, January 23, that it had lost 24 men in combat in the Palestinian enclave in a single day, including 21 reservists.
All reservists were killed on Monday in a single attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. A report released Monday said more than 200 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 27.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday the opening of an investigation into this “disaster.” “We must all learn lessons and do everything we can to save the lives of our combatants,” the latter added in a press release, referring to “one of the most difficult days” since the outbreak of war.
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Army spokesman Daniel Hagari reported an RPG rocket launcher attack on a tank stationed near two two-story buildings that the army planned to raze. “Powers [de défense israéliennes – nom que se donne l’armée israélienne] worked to destroy terrorist buildings and infrastructure (…) 600 meters from the Gaza-Israel border,” the official said during a televised press conference.
“War has a high price”
“At around 4pm, an RPG missile was reportedly fired by terrorists at a tank providing security to the troops,” he continued. “Simultaneously” an explosion occurred from both buildings, “which collapsed instantly while most of the force was still inside or nearby.” The buildings had been heavily mined for destruction. It was not yet clear on Tuesday why they exploded earlier than expected.
The Army released the identities of the reservists individually on its website today. “We worked until the last few hours to locate the victims,” the official said, citing the difficulty of recovering bodies buried under the rubble. “War has a high, even very high, price. “Our reservists sacrificed what they care most about so that we can all live here safely,” he added.
The war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israeli soil, which killed more than 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official Israeli data.
Israel has vowed to “destroy” Hamas and launched a military operation that has so far killed 25,490 Palestinians, the vast majority women and children, according to the latest report from the Health Ministry, which is controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement.
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