Four IDF soldiers were killed on Friday in a powerful explosion that led to the collapse of a building in Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The blast brought the total number of Israeli military fatalities since the start of the war to 866.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the soldiers were killed when an explosive device detonated inside a building during a mission in Khan Younis. Three of the fallen troops served in the elite combat engineering unit Yahalom, and the fourth was a reservist from the Maglan unit. Five additional soldiers were wounded in the incident, one of them seriously and the others moderately.
Two of the fallen soldiers have been publicly identified: Sergeant major (res.) Chen Gross and Staff sergeant Yoav Rover. The names of the other two have not yet been released.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:05 a.m. during an operation by IDF forces to clear a building on the northern outskirts of Khan Younis. The operation was intended to eliminate terrorist infrastructure and prepare the area for full Israeli control. The troops operated with full fire support.
The building the soldiers entered was part of a Hamas stronghold and was located above a tunnel network. According to the IDF, this warranted a thorough investigation of the site. Shortly after entering, an explosive device was detonated, causing the building to collapse on the troops.
