Eight IDF soldiers were injured Thursday in northern Gaza, including two moderately, when an explosion occurred near a tank close to Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood, the military reported. The wounded troops were evacuated to a hospital and their families were notified.
Earlier Thursday, the IDF reported that a tank crewman from the 188th Armored Brigade's 71st Battalion was seriously wounded in Khan Younis after being struck by mortar shrapnel. His condition was stabilized, and he was evacuated for treatment.
The incident followed two serious injuries reported Tuesday in separate clashes in central and southern Gaza. In one, a Golani Brigade reconnaissance unit technician was seriously wounded by anti-tank fire while servicing an armored vehicle during an operation near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Later, in Rafah, three more soldiers were injured, two severely and one moderately, after an explosive device detonated near their unit from the Southern Brigade’s combat engineering corps.
Since combat resumed in Gaza in March following the collapse of hostage negotiations, 44 IDF soldiers have been killed out of 895 total combat deaths since the war began on October 7, 2023. Military sources attribute several casualties to operational accidents linked to prolonged deployment, fatigue, deteriorating equipment and the hazardous urban terrain that allows Hamas terrorists to maneuver undetected, even in broad daylight.
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Meanwhile, the IDF announced it had eliminated Muhammad al-'Amour, a senior Hamas operative and longtime weapons smuggling coordinator at the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza. He was targeted in an airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force and guided by military intelligence.
“Al-'Amour was responsible for the goods terminal at the Rafah Crossing. In this role, he oversaw the smuggling of hundreds of weapons and military equipment into the Gaza Strip, directly contributing to Hamas military buildup," the military said in a statement.
"Over the years, he played a key role in the smuggling network of Hamas’ military wing, coordinating and leading efforts to bring weapons into the Gaza Strip and to Hamas with the help of collaborators."