Eight Israeli Soldiers Killed in Armored Vehicle Explosion in Rafah

The Israeli army announced that eight of its soldiers were killed during military operations in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. According to the Israeli army, these soldiers, all members of an engineering combat unit, were killed in an armored vehicle due to a shot that caused an explosion of engineering materials inside the vehicle. The army's statement indicated that this incident occurred due to a violation of standard procedures in the early hours of Saturday, June 16, in the Tel al-Sultan area west of Rafah, and investigations into the incident are ongoing. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli army, stated that the initial explosion was caused by materials planted by Hamas or an anti-tank missile strike. In another account, the military wing of the extremist group Hamas claimed that the Israeli soldiers' vehicle was caught in a designed minefield and then exploded. The deaths of these eight soldiers brought the total military casualties of Israel in the Gaza war to over 300, while protests by families of hostages held by Hamas and its allies inside Israel continue. A senior Hamas member stated that no one knows how many Israeli hostages remain alive in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under intense pressure from these families and other opponents of the ongoing war, described the deaths of the eight soldiers as 'another tragic price' in the course of a 'just war' to defend Israel. Meanwhile, at a gathering of hostage families, a video message from Andrei Kuzlov, one of the four hostages rescued from Gaza, was released, in which he called for a ceasefire to free other hostages. He and three other hostages were rescued last week during an unprecedented coordinated operation among the army, police, and Israel's internal security agency. This comes as Israeli tanks continue to advance in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah, and coastal areas of Gaza have been targeted by artillery and tank fire, where thousands of displaced Palestinians from other areas have taken refuge. Simultaneously, clashes in Gaza are ongoing, and the Israeli army is also exchanging fire in the north with the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Israeli military operations continue in other areas of Gaza, and residents of the Hokka city in northern Gaza reported that at least 15 people were killed on Saturday due to Israeli airstrikes on two houses. According to Reuters, Gaza rescue forces also reported that four more Palestinians were killed in southern areas. The Gaza war, which began after Hamas's attack on Israeli territory on October 6 of last year and the killing of 1,200 people, has so far resulted in the deaths of over 37,000 Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, has stated that it agrees with the ceasefire proposal put forward by the U.S. President. However, the U.S. Secretary of State announced last week that Hamas had proposed 'multiple changes' in response to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza, which included 'unfeasible' items.