New details reported Thursday reveal that defects in an IDF armored personnel carrier allowed a Hamas operative to throw an explosive device into the vehicle, killing seven combat engineering soldiers in Khan Younis on June 24, in one of the deadliest incidents for the Israel Defense Forces in months.
According to the report by the Kan public broadcaster, the exit hatch of the Puma APC was broken and had been tied shut with a rope. The APC’s cameras were not functional and hadn’t been for an extended period.
Soldiers said commanders were aware of the issues, the report said.
The incident sparked criticism from families of soldiers in the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion, who accused the army of negligence and demanded updated equipment in a letter to the battalion commander.
The incident was “unnecessary and preventable,” they said.
Parents noted that other battalions have more advanced vehicles, such as the Namer, while the 605th has continued to rely on outdated Pumas.
The soldiers were named on Wednesday as Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, from Kfar Yona; Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, from Rehovot; Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, from Elyakhin; Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, from Mazkeret Batya; Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, from Ashkelon; Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, from Eshhar; and Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, from Kiryat Yam.
The army reported Thursday that two of the Hamas operatives involved in the deadly attack were killed in a drone strike amid the IDF’s continued offensive across the Strip.
The IDF said it carried out airstrikes on around 150 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, targeting underground routes, military structures, sniper positions, and other terror infrastructure.
The operations, carried out with intelligence from the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence Directorate, aim to eliminate threats against Israeli civilians, the army said.
Thursday also saw reports by Hamas-run Gaza health ministry that 94 people were killed over Wednesday night and Thursday morning by IDF airstrikes and fire, including 45 who were killed either outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip.
Fifteen people were reported killed in strikes in the sprawling tent city in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering. A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people killed another fifteen people, according to the Hamas-linked civil defense.
The figures provided by the Gaza health ministry could not be independently verified and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
There have been repeated instances of Palestinians being shot near aid distribution sites. The IDF says it is investigating but has denied that troops are ordered to open fire on civilians.
The ongoing fighting comes amid intensified efforts in Israel and Washington to end the war in Gaza and free hostages held there for nearly two years, with Israel advancing major efforts to reach a deal ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington on July 7, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday evening.
Israel is now, for the first time, willing to engage in talks over a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release framework in Gaza that would see the release of all 50 remaining hostages from Hamas, Channel 12 news reported, citing sources involved in the talks.
Earlier Wednesday, Hamas said it was open to a ceasefire with Israel, but did not accept the US-backed proposal announced by Trump the day before.
The proposal echoes earlier frameworks, though talks have repeatedly stalled over post-truce conditions, as Israel insists on preserving the right to resume fighting, while Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.