RAFAH, Gaza — The Israeli military announced that two IDF soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a devastating explosion caused by a booby-trapped tunnel shaft in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Saturday.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Captain Noam David, 23, from Sha’arei Tikva, and Staff Sergeant Yaly Seror, 20, from Omer. Both served in the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, known for its specialized operations. According to an initial IDF investigation, the Yahalom soldiers, operating under the Golani Brigade, were scanning the entrance to a tunnel inside a building when the explosion occurred. One of the wounded soldiers is reported to be in moderate condition, while the other’s condition was not specified.
In a separate incident on Friday, a reservist from the Jerusalem Brigade’s 7007th Battalion was seriously wounded in northern Gaza. The circumstances surrounding his injury remain under investigation, the military stated.
The loss of these soldiers underscores the ongoing dangers faced by IDF forces operating in Gaza, where complex tunnel networks pose significant threats. The IDF continues to investigate both incidents to prevent future tragedies.
(YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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According to Netanyahu and other higher ups the entire purpose of this new phase of fighting in Gaza is to “put pressure on Hamas” so that it releases the hostages. So far 6 soldiers have been killed in this new phase of fighting. So there is something very wrong with the way Israeli society views the importance and value of the release of the hostages.
One camp, which according to polls makes up the majority of the populations, wants Israel to vacate Gaza and leave Hamas in power in order to get the hostages out. That while killing off Hamas and retaking Gaza was so crucial that hundreds of soldiers needed to give their lives, the release of less than 30 live hostages is even more important.
And the other camp which is not ready to give into Hamas’ demands in order to get the hostages back still feels their return is more important than the lives of the soldiers getting killed to “put pressure” on Hamas.
So getting back the hostages has turned into an obsession for Israel that is getting them to act in ways that are not rational.