Fifteen Israeli soldiers died in ground fighting in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, amid the war against the Islamist group Hamas and other Palestinian militias in the enclave, the Israeli army reported on Wednesday.
“The families of four fallen soldiers have been notified,” the army said on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
These add to the 11 others previously released, all of which “fell in combat in the northern Gaza Strip” on October 31.
Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7 after the Islamist group killed more than 1,400 people (including 330 soldiers), injured 5,400 and held 240 hostages. The counterattack by Israeli forces began immediately with incessant bombing and later, last Friday evening, with a ground attack in the north of the Palestinian enclave.
Some of the soldiers killed were in a vehicle that was hit by an anti-tank missile
On Tuesday night, “joined Israel Defense Forces (IDF) forces attacked multiple terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip, including operational command centers and Hamas terror cells,” a military spokesman said.
Some of the soldiers killed were in a vehicle that was hit by an anti-tank missile fired by Hamas militants, and others died when the tank they were in ran over an explosive device, Israeli media said.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant noted that “the fall of Israel Defense Forces fighters in the fight against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is a hard and painful blow.”
“Unfortunately, the important gains of powerful fighting deep in Gaza come at a high price. “We are prepared for a long and complex campaign that will require courage, determination and endurance,” Gallant added.
Israeli forces bombed the Hamas-controlled town of Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip for the second time in less than 24 hours this Wednesday. The attack left “dozens dead and injured,” according to the official Palestinian agency Wafa, which said the bombing targeted the Faluja neighborhood.
Israeli forces bombed the city of Jabalia for the second time in less than 24 hours on Wednesday.
The day before, at least 145 people were killed in the first heavy Israeli bombardment of the Jabalia camp, according to hospital sources linked to Hamas.
According to the Israeli army, the attack targeted a Hamas militia commander and caused his death as well as the deaths of around fifty militiamen hiding in tunnels in the area.
Israeli warplanes hurled tons of explosives underground, leading to the destruction of the foundations of buildings in the densely populated area and the demolition of many buildings, according to sources in Gaza.
On the other hand, Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas, indicated this Wednesday that it could intervene in Israel’s conflict with Gaza if a ceasefire is not reached soon, since it considers the entire region to be its “homeland”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian made this veiled threat during his visit to Turkey: “This is our region, our homeland, and we will not wait for anyone’s permission to deal with what is happening in our homeland. “
“This is our region, our home, and we will not wait for anyone’s permission to address what is happening in our home.”
“We hope that a ceasefire will come soon and that the genocide and violence of the United States and Israel will come to an end. If the attacks on women and children continue, the cost they will have to pay will be very high,” the minister said at a press conference. together with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
He gave no details on how his country would carry out a possible intervention, but recalled the strength of the Islamist organization Hezbollah, which operates from Lebanon with the support of Tehran. “The Zionist regime is talking about ending Hezbollah,” which “has become one of the strongest movements against the occupation (of Palestine) and the Zionist regime,” he said.
However, Abdolahian stressed that his country would first try to exhaust all diplomatic resources to bring about an end to the war. “Yesterday I was in Doha with a large delegation and we had meetings with senior Qatari officials and with Hamas political leaders. We have made suggestions to Egypt and Saudi Arabia and hope that we can implement them and put an end to the terror killings,” the minister said.
“If things continue like this, the resistance (regarding Hamas) could react in another unexpected way and things could get out of control,” he stressed. For the Iranian envoy, “responsibility lies with the United States, Israel and those who support them.”
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