Nine Israeli soldiers killed when APC is struck by rocket
The Israel Defence Forces announced early Wednesday morning the deaths of nine additional soldiers in the Gaza Strip, bringing to 11 the number of troops killed in action the previous day. Nine of the 11 were killed when their armored personnel carrier was struck by an anti-tank rocket on Tuesday.
Israeli forces inside Gaza on Oct. 31, 2023. Photo by IDF Spokesperson
The fallen soldiers were all 19-24 years old.
In a separate incident, two soldiers were killed when their tank drove over an explosive device. Two other soldiers were seriously wounded in the blast.
On Tuesday evening, the military announced the deaths of Staff Sgt. Roei Wolf, 20, and Staff Sgt. Lavi Lipshitz, 20, both of whom served in a reconnaissance unit. They were in the ill-fated APC.
“The fall of IDF fighters in battle against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is a hard and painful blow. Our hearts and thoughts are with their dear families,” said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday.
“The significant achievements of the heavy fighting in the depths of the Gaza Strip unfortunately exact a heavy price. We are prepared and ready for a long and complex campaign that requires courage, determination and perseverance. We will win,” he added.
The IDF continued to pound Hamas assets in Gaza from the land and air overnight Tuesday, striking terrorist cells and command and control centres. One of the latter was located in a multi-story building deliberately located next to a school and medical office, according to the Israeli military.
Since the start of the war on Oct. 7, the IDF has hit some 11,000 Hamas targets in southern Israel.
These IDF casualties are only the beginning of what is going to happen in the following weeks or months.