Nine Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza City after Palestinian militants ambushed them as part of Hamas's fight against Israel's continued ground and air offensive, officials announced Wednesday.
The attack occurred Tuesday while Israeli troops with the Golani Brigade were searching buildings in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza — where Hamas militants are believed to be operating, the Israeli military said.
The Associated Press reported troops lost communication with four soldiers who came under fire. When other soldiers went to rescue them, they were ambushed with heavy gunfire and explosives.
Those killed included Lt. Col. Tomer Grinberg, a battalion commander, Israeli forces confirmed. Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, 44, was the most senior officer to have been killed in the operation, per the AP.
The Times of Israel reported that the ambush brought the total death toll in Israel's ground offensive to 115.
The sneak attack was among several clashes overnight Wednesday between Israeli soldiers and Hamas, along with two Israeli strikes on two residential buildings in Khan Younis — Gaza's second-largest city, the news wire said.
It follows more than six weeks of fighting in the region after Hamas's Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel left an estimated 1,200 people dead, including hundreds of civilians.
Israel has continued to pound Hamas-run Gaza by land and air in a campaign to destroy the militant group and its military capabilities. More than 18,400 people have been killed in Gaza in the violence, the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed Wednesday, the AP reported.
Global leaders are putting increased pressure on the two sides for a cease-fire amid the rising death tolls and humanitarian crisis for the estimated 2.3 million Palestinians that reside in Gaza.
The United Nations passed a resolution Tuesday calling for an immediate cease-fire, demanding all parties obey humanitarian law and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
So far, amid a previous week-long pause in fighting, Hamas has released about 100 hostages. The militant group is believed to have taken about 240 people captive during the initial attack.
