Friday, June 6, 2025 | Arab Canada News

The Israeli army announced today, Friday, the death of four of its soldiers and the injury of five others during a clash that took place in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as part of military operations ongoing for months against Hamas.

The Israeli army radio stated that the soldiers were killed as a result of an explosion of an explosive device that caused the collapse of a building they had entered, adding that the special units “Maglan” and “Yahalom” were conducting an attack in the area. The radio noted that the evacuation of the wounded took a long time under heavy fire coverage from the Israeli air force and artillery.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the occupying Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu, described today as “a very difficult day in Israel,” and added in an official statement: “Our four soldiers were killed in an operation aimed at rescuing the hostages; they sacrificed themselves to protect the people of Israel.” Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “There are no words that can comfort this great loss,” wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded and praising the “determination and bravery of the fighting soldiers in the face of a brutal enemy.”

With the death of the four soldiers, the number of soldiers killed in the Israeli army since the start of the ground assault on the Gaza Strip in October 2023 has risen to 429, according to data from the Israeli occupation army.

It is noted that the Israeli military operations in Gaza continue amid growing international calls for a ceasefire, while the Israeli government insists on continuing the fighting until it achieves its declared goals, foremost of which are “eliminating Hamas's capabilities” and “returning the hostages.”