A large explosion is seen in central Gaza’s Bureij, leaving six IDF combat engineers dead
By Emanuel Fabian, Lazar Berman and Joshua Davidovich – Times of Israel Jan 9, 2024
Six troops were killed in an explosion in central Gaza and three others died during intense battles in the south of the Strip, Israel’s army announced Tuesday, as heavy fighting persisted a day after military leaders indicated that combat was shifting into lower gear after over three months of war.
The deadly setbacks came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region to discuss Israel’s transition to a new phase in the punishing conflict, with the Israel Defense Forces largely in control of northern Gaza, but continuing to face resistance during pushes into central Gaza and the metropolis of Khan Younis in the south of the Strip, where the army said it was expanding operations.
The deaths, which occurred Monday, raised the toll in Israel’s offensive to 185 since troops invaded the Strip in late October on a campaign to eliminate the Strip’s Hamas rulers and free hostages kidnapped during the terror group’s October 7 onslaught.
The army said the six reservists, all combat engineers, were killed when explosives intended for demolishing a tunnel detonated during activity in central Gaza’s al-Bureij refugee camp.
The explosion, which is being investigated by the IDF, occurred close to where officers were leading reporters on a tour of a Hamas rocket manufacturing plant.
A Times of Israel correspondent reported hearing and seeing a large blast rip through the air, capturing the moment in a photo.
As the IDF began to escort the reporters out of the Strip, medical dispatches were heard over the radio, with commanders declaring a mass casualty incident.
The six fatalities were named as Sgt. First Class (res.) Gavriel Bloom, a 27-year-old reservist from Beit Shemesh; Master Sgt. (res.) Amit Moshe Shahar, 25, from Ramat Yohanan; Cpt. (res.) Denis Krokhmalov Veksler, 32, from Beersheba; Cpt. (res.) Ron Efrimi, 26, from Hod Hasharon; Master Sgt. (res.) Roi Avraham Maimon, 24, a paramedic from Afula, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Akiva Yasinskiy, 35, from Ramat Gan.
Several others were injured, some seriously, in the explosion.
Among those hurt in the incident was entertainer Idan Amedi, a popular singer and actor on the hit TV show “Fauda,” who was airlifted to a hospital Monday and was not in life-threatening danger, his father said.
In Khan Younis, Sgt. First Class (res.) David Schwartz, 26, and Sgt. First Class (res.) Yakir Hexter, 26, were killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack, the IDF said. The two combat engineers, part of a paratrooper force, were from Elazar in the West Bank and Jerusalem respectively.
Another soldier was seriously wounded in the attack.
Combat engineering forces are tasked with some of the most dangerous work as part of the IDF’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, scanning Hamas’s tunnel networks and destroying them, along with other sites, with explosives.
Elsewhere in southern Gaza, Sgt. Roi Tal, a 19-year-old infantryman from Kfar Yehoshua, was killed during a battle with Hamas operatives.
Five Israeli Soldiers Killed By Own Explosives Meant For Destroying Hamas Tunnel In Gaza
Hindustan Times – Jan 9, 2024
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in a democrasy the government carries out the wishes of the people
but the war on the people of iraq by the tony blair government was said to make the labour party unelectable for 50 years, but the tories are no better
The people of the UK support palestine, but the government supports israel and its terror
this is wrong
we need to dish these political parties who are undemocratic to the dustbin of history
the people rule ok ?
Israel is like a cuckoo egg laid in the ME nest..
a new country disguised as a victimised people
that has emerged as a monster intent on destroying its neighbours
Just more fictitious dead Jews.
Babies killer are coward by their natures . They demand the west to fight their enemies.
Facing Hamas was a big mistake,
israeli pilots are the worst baby killers !
“Nine troops”–how many in each troop? One, so it was nine soldiers, and possibly no troops, and a maximum of three
Clarifications inserted above according to Wikipedia, IDF has 9 pay grades. Rough equivalents, IDF vs. UK vs. US:
IL: Captain (Cpt.)
UK: Captain
US: Captain
IL: Sergeant Major
UK: Staff/Colour Sergeant
US: Sergeant First Class
IL: Master Sergeant
UK: Sergeant
US: Staff Sergeant
IL: Sergeant First Class
UK: Sergeant
US: Sergeant
Thus, one cannot assume by IDF rank name to be that of, say, the US Army. A few grades appear to be inflated for age, but may have a reason on technical merit (extra college / technical training, etc., although nepotism has been implied also by other reports.)
Among other things, the tunnels, used to smuggle in aid, medical supplies, essential life support and personel to sustain an imprisoned population, the Gazans, over the past years are being vilified to justify an ethnic cleansing campaign.
The movie, The Great Escape, glorified military prisoner resistance in their attempts to escape a WW2 POW Camp to freedom. Here, unarmed doctors, news reporters, ambulatory workers, rescuers, children and nursing mothers are considered combatants, who are being snipered for sport. They are being gunned down for fleeing or seeking shelter, or following directions to relocate are murdered in convoy.
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2024/01/11/the-normalization-of-mass-murder
further explains US involvement and interference with the world court in addressing this current occurring Nakba.
Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they execute it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away; thus they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk upright; for it shall be an evil time. Micah 2:1-3 (JPS)