The Israeli army reported that it killed 10 Hamas fighters in Gaza while repelling an attack by the armed wing of the Islamist group, which claims to have killed several Israeli soldiers, AFP reported.

Israeli media note that such an attack on troops in Gaza is extremely unusual since the start of the war in October 2023, following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

“Today around 9 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT), more than 15 terrorists emerged from several tunnels near the post of the 90th Battalion in the southern Khan Yunis area,” the Israeli army stated.

The fighters carried out a combined attack using firearms and anti-tank rockets, with some infiltrating the post and being neutralized in direct combat with air support. As a result, one Israeli soldier was seriously injured and two others sustained minor injuries.

“The troops, in coordination with the Israeli Air Force, neutralized 10 terrorists in direct combat and airstrikes,” the statement added, noting that eight other fighters retreated back into the tunnels.

Journalist Doron Kadosh from Israeli Military Radio described the attack in Khan Yunis as “exceptional” since the start of the war, while Times of Israel called it an “unusual incident.” Channel 12 reported that the assault aimed at kidnapping soldiers.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, stated that “in the morning we carried out a raid on a newly constructed enemy post southeast of Khan Yunis,” with attackers targeting guard tanks and houses where Israeli soldiers were fortified. Some Hamas fighters allegedly entered the houses and killed several soldiers at close range using small arms and hand grenades, claiming that a tank commander was also killed.

“When the rescue forces arrived, one of the Qassam fighters detonated himself among the soldiers, causing deaths and injuries,” Hamas added, without mentioning losses among its own fighters.

The Israeli army denied that any Hamas fighters were suicide attackers or that there was an attempt to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

Hamas frequently used suicide attackers during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, but in the current war, no suicide attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza have been reported. The organization claims it carried out an attempted suicide operation in Tel Aviv in August 2024, during which one fighter was killed. | BGNES