7 Israeli soldiers killed in Southern Gaza blast

Seven Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday when a military armored vehicle was struck by an explosive device during combat operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.

The incident occurred in the Khan Younis area, where a bomb—believed to have been planted by a Palestinian militant—detonated beneath a Puma armored combat engineering vehicle operated by the IDF’s 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. The blast ignited the vehicle, and attempts to rescue the soldiers were unsuccessful. All seven troops aboard perished in the fire.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday identified six of the fallen soldiers as Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, from Kfar Yona; Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, from Rehovot; Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, from Elyakhin; Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, from Mazkeret Batya; Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, from Ashkelon; and Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, from Eshhar. All served in the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. The name of the seventh soldier is expected to be released later.

The remains of the destroyed vehicle were later towed out of the combat zone. The soldiers' deaths bring the number of IDF personnel killed since the beginning of the ground offensive in Gaza to 440.

In a separate engagement near Khan Younis, two additional soldiers from the same battalion were injured by rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire—one seriously, the other lightly.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed sorrow over the deaths, stating on social media that the soldiers “fought heroically and fell during their mission to defend the State of Israel and return our hostages.”

President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute, writing, “The scene in Gaza is difficult, the battles are difficult, and the burden is unbearable. We bow our heads and embrace the bereaved families with pain and tears.”

Municipalities across the country issued statements in memory of the fallen. The town of Kfar Yona mourned the loss of Lt. Yashinovski, saying it would remember “his smile, his values, and his deep love for Israel.”