On Friday morning, four Israeli soldiers were killed and five others wounded when a booby-trapped building collapsed in the Bani Suheila neighborhood of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to the Israeli military. The soldiers were conducting a clearance operation targeting potential Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, when the explosion occurred.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) identified two of the deceased as Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross, 33, of the Maglan commando unit, and Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver, 19, of the Yahalom combat engineering unit. The names of the other two soldiers have not yet been released.
Among the injured, one Maglan officer sustained severe wounds, while four other soldiers were moderately wounded.
This incident brings the total number of Israeli military fatalities since the war began on October 7, 2023, to 866, with 422 of those occurring since the ground offensive commenced on October 27, 2023.
The explosion occurred shortly after 6 a.m. during an IDF ground assault in the Bani Suheila neighborhood, targeting a fortified Hamas compound containing a tunnel network.
In a separate incident, a reservist with the 646th Paratroopers Brigade was moderately wounded by a mortar impact in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood.
The Israeli military continues its operations in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and eliminate militant threats.
