Building collapsed in Hamas attack, killing 21 people
24 people killed in one day, the most since the start of the war… Cumulative 219 people
Netanyahu: The only alternative is a complete victory over Hamas
Twenty-one Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers carrying out operations in the central Gaza Strip of Palestine were killed in an attack by Hamas. On the same day, three soldiers were killed in a battle that took place in the southern city of Khan Yunis, resulting in a total of 24 deaths, recording the highest number of casualties in a single day for the Israeli army since the start of the war.
According to foreign media such as the Times of Israel (TOI) on the 23rd (local time), Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack by Hamas in central Gaza the previous day.
It is reported that all of the fallen were reserve forces and that they were working to ensure the safety of the surrounding area in order to return home tens of thousands of Israeli residents who had evacuated after the war began with a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7.
The Israeli military explained that while they were preparing to blow up and demolish two buildings, explosives exploded in an attack by Hamas, causing the buildings to collapse, killing soldiers in and near the buildings. With 24 soldiers killed in one day, the cumulative number of Israeli military deaths since the start of the ground war increased to at least 219.
Israeli broadcasters broadcast scenes of bereaved families and relatives gathered in front of the flag-covered coffins of fallen soldiers at funerals held across the country, mourning and comforting each other. Israeli Army Chief of Staff General Herzy Halevi also said in a televised speech after visiting the site of the explosion, “Today we are feeling the costly and painful consequences of the war.”
The Israeli government commemorated the fallen and announced that it would not stop the war until Hamas was completely eradicated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I bow my head in mourning in memory of the soldiers. But we must not forget for a moment that there is no alternative to the goal of complete victory over Hamas and that we must strive only for victory,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that it had surrounded Khan Younis and killed more than 100 Hamas militants west of Khan Younis. Additionally, Israel’s public broadcaster Khan TV reported that Hamas rejected Israel’s offer to release all remaining hostages, exchange them for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and then leave Gaza.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.