Shafaq News – Gaza

Hamas fighters killed five Israeli soldiers and wounded 18 in a coordinated ambush in northern Gaza, the Israeli military announced on Tuesday.

According to the army’s spokesperson, the attack in Beit Hanoun targeted troops from the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion with an improvised explosive device that struck a patrol unit, followed by a second blast aimed at rescue forces, prompting Israeli troops to seal off the area.

Israeli media described the ambush as one of the deadliest since the war began in October 2023. Among the dead were severely burned bodies, including a senior officer.

The Wall Street Journal, citing an Israeli military source, noted the operation showed “an unprecedented level of complexity and boldness” in Hamas’s battlefield tactics.

Hamas’s military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility earlier today, with spokesperson Abu Ubaida framing the ambush as a warning to Israeli forces. “If they narrowly escaped this time, they may not next time.”

The incident unfolded as Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 52 Palestinians killed and 262 injured over the past 24 hours from Israeli attacks, raising the toll since October 7, 2023, to 57,575 dead and 136,879 wounded.