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In one of the deadliest attacks for Israeli soldiers in Gaza in recent months, Hamas fighters killed eight Israeli soldiers traveling in military vehicles in Rafah on Saturday. The attack began with the firing of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and was followed by an ambush on a support force deployed to the scene.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that their soldiers carried out a complex ambush against Israeli military vehicles in the Tal as-Sultan district of western Rafah. The group reported using Yassin-105 RPGs to target a D9 military bulldozer, resulting in multiple casualties. When a rescue force arrived, it was also attacked, leading to the destruction of the vehicle and the deaths of its occupants.

The Israeli military confirmed the loss of eight soldiers during operational activity in southern Gaza but did not provide further details. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, announced an investigation into the incident. In a televised statement, Hagari emphasized the ongoing efforts to disarm Hamas fighters to prevent further attacks on civilians, referencing the high toll of the conflict.

Since the ground invasion of Gaza began on October 27, at least 307 Israeli troops have been killed and thousands wounded. In contrast, Gaza’s health ministry reports over 37,296 Palestinian deaths, primarily women, children, and the elderly, since the conflict erupted on October 7.

The recent casualties have heightened calls for a ceasefire and fueled public anger in Israel. The incident comes after a significant attack in January that resulted in the deaths of 21 Israeli troops in central Gaza.

Following the ambush, Israeli forces intensified air, sea, and artillery attacks on the Tal as-Sultan area. Despite international condemnation, the Israeli military continues its advance in Rafah, where at least 19 Palestinians were killed on Saturday. Civilians in the city face severe shortages of food, water, and medicine.

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, remarked that the attack underscores the challenges Israel faces in achieving its goal of destroying Hamas after eight months of combat. Reports indicate that about 70 percent of Hamas’s fighting force remains intact, and the group continues to recruit new members.

Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz, noted the heavy toll on Israeli society, with growing questions about the conflict’s objectives and duration. He suggested that the war could become an endless cycle of violence, making the notion of a ‘total victory’ increasingly elusive.

Despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, a resolution appears distant. A previous weeklong truce in November that freed over 100 Israelis has not led to a lasting ceasefire, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to halt the invasion until Hamas is eradicated.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Tzav 9, an extremist Israeli group obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza. The sanctions follow accusations of looting and setting fire to aid trucks, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.S. State Department emphasized the need for Israel to ensure the safety of aid convoys and condemned acts of sabotage and violence targeting humanitarian assistance.

The sanctions came after Israeli media reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had influenced law enforcement to allow aid convoy blockades. Rights advocates have urged further sanctions against Israeli officials, including Ben-Gvir, for their roles in obstructing humanitarian aid.

The Group of Seven (G7) leaders, concluding their summit in Italy, stressed the importance of unhindered humanitarian work in Gaza. They called for the rapid and unimpeded passage of relief for civilians, particularly women and children. The G7 communique expressed concern over the high civilian casualties and condemned extremist settler violence in the West Bank, urging Israel to avoid a full-scale military offensive in Rafah.

Oxfam, responding to the G7 statement, called for immediate action to implement proposals for removing Israeli forces from Gaza and ending the occupation. The international charity emphasized the urgency of turning words into actions to address the humanitarian crisis.

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