An Israeli soldier was critically wounded Wednesday and two others were lightly injured, during a rare terrorist assault on an IDF outpost along the Morag route in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, the military said.
According to the IDF, a squad of around 20 terrorists emerged from an underground tunnel shaft near 9 a.m. and opened fire with a combination of small arms and RPGs at soldiers stationed in a fortified position. Troops from the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion returned fire, killing about ten attackers in close-quarters combat, while eight managed to escape.
The bodies of the terrorists killed
Israeli tanks and aircraft were dispatched to strike the retreating terrorists. Air patrols and aerial searches continued in the area hours after the attack, as forces tried to locate the remaining assailants.
The IDF said there was no confirmed attempt to kidnap soldiers, though one of the attackers carried a stretcher, suggesting abduction may have been a goal.
Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its fighters targeted an Israeli outpost southeast of Khan Younis, struck Merkava tanks with explosives and shells and hit soldiers at “point-blank range.” The group also said it targeted buildings where Israeli troops were stationed. Palestinian media reported that the terrorists “retreated safely” after the assault, which they described as an ambush.
Air strikes against the attacking terrorists
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The attack comes nearly a month after Staff Sgt. (res.) Avraham Azulay, 25, a heavy equipment operator with Southern Command’s engineering unit, was killed in a combined Hamas attack in Khan Younis. Militants first fired RPGs at his unit and then emerged from a tunnel in an attempt to abduct him during an operation to destroy terror infrastructure under the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion.
The Morag route, recently opened by IDF’s 36th Division, separates Khan Younis from Rafah and was designed to divide Hamas brigades in the area. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, described the corridor as a key security zone within Gaza.
First published: 12:20, 08.20.25