In an Israeli army attack, 10 Hamas fighters were killed in Gaza. They were killed in an Israeli airstrike in retaliation after attempting to attack Israeli soldiers and take them hostage in southern Khan Younis. The militant group had 18 members, and 8 of them managed to escape into a tunnel, the Israeli military confirmed. Three soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in the attack, the IDF said.
A military investigation revealed that the assault started around 9 a.m., when militants surfaced from a tunnel in southern Khan Younis and opened fire with machine guns and RPGs as they advanced toward an army base.
Some of the attackers succeeded in breaking into the compound, where they engaged in a firefight with soldiers from the Kfir Brigade.
According to the probe, at least ten militants were killed by ground forces and airstrikes coordinated with the troops, while eight others managed to retreat back into the tunnel.
The IDF released footage showing the airstrikes and efforts by troops to repel the attack.
“In the course of the same incident, a number of terrorists managed to infiltrate a building housing our troops, but they were neutralized,” Defrin stated. “We are currently examining how this happened and will take the necessary lessons from it.”
The IDF stated that efforts were underway to locate the gunmen who escaped after the assault.
In a statement, Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility, saying its fighters had “stormed the position” and carried out a suicide attack.
Al-Qassam asserted that its fighters attacked multiple tanks with explosives and RPGs, and struck several buildings within the encampment used by IDF troops with RPGs and machine-gun fire.
Hamas’s armed wing claimed the battle “went on for several hours,” while the IDF investigation concluded it ended in less than an hour.
During the war, Hamas has repeatedly made exaggerated claims regarding its operations against IDF troops in Gaza.
