Hamas tried Monday night to attack another Israel Defense Forces outpost in Gaza City, in parallel with a raid on a Kfir Brigade position that left 11 fighters wounded, Ynet Global has learned.
The raid on the Kfir outpost was reportedly disrupted, but forces at the targeted post were placed on alert for further attacks. The incident came as U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to end the war and free hostages, a plan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accepted.
The IDF assesses that in the coming days Hamas will step up efforts to mount similar raids against Israeli positions in the Gaza Strip, especially in Gaza City, in attempts to mark the war it opened with the “achievement” of abducting a soldier or inflicting heavy casualties on troops. Forces in the Strip have been ordered to heighten vigilance, particularly at static outposts deemed more vulnerable. One scenario commanders are preparing for is several guerrilla raids launched simultaneously against multiple outposts in the same area.
In Monday's attack on the Kfir position, a medical officer, an officer from the Armored Corps, and three Armored Corps soldiers from the 82nd Battalion of the 7th Brigade were seriously wounded. The five were evacuated to hospital for treatment and their families were notified. The clash occurred around 5:25 p.m., when troops encountered several terrorists at short range who had infiltrated the post and affixed two charges to a tank; a separate close-quarters firefight also took place.
At least two of the terrorists were killed near the outpost — one by a tank round and another in a face-to-face engagement with the battalion’s forces. A manhunt for the three remaining terrorists continues. In addition to the five seriously wounded, six other soldiers were lightly wounded and were also evacuated to hospital.