by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Seven Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday when their armored combat engineering vehicle was struck by an explosive device in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis–marking one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces in months.
According to an initial investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a Hamas militant planted the explosive on a Puma armored vehicle operated by the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. The blast ignited a fire that engulfed the vehicle, and all seven soldiers inside perished. Rescue helicopters and emergency crews were dispatched but were unable to save the trapped soldiers. The charred remains of the vehicle were later extracted from Gaza.
The fallen soldiers were identified as:
- Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, of Kfar Yona
- Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, of Rehovot
- Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, of Elyakhin
- Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, of Mazkeret Batya
- Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, of Ashkelon
- Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, of Eshhar
- Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, of Kiryat Yam
All served in the 605th Battalion.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush. In a separate incident nearby, two other soldiers were wounded–one seriously–when their D9 armored bulldozer came under RPG fire.
The deaths brought the number of Israeli troops killed in Gaza and along the border since ground operations began to 440. More than 860 Israeli soldiers have died since Hamas launched its surprise October 7, 2023 assault, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences, calling the fallen “heroic soldiers” who gave their lives “to defeat Hamas and free our hostages.” Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this, praising their mission and sacrifice. President Isaac Herzog mourned the loss, writing on X that “the burden is unbearable” and offering prayers for the wounded.
The Kfar Yona Municipality, mourning Lt. Yashinovski, said it would remember “his smile, his values and his huge love for Israel.”
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the grueling conflict with Hamas, just as a 12-day war with Iran came to a halt under a fragile ceasefire.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
In a landmark win for the pro-life movement, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that South Carolina has the constitutional authority to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program–marking a significant shift in the battle over taxpayer funding of abortion-related services.
President Donald Trump delivered a stern warning to Spain on Wednesday, accusing the nation of shirking its defense obligations under NATO and threatening to double tariffs in retaliation.
Despite a recent pledge to ease restrictions, China is delaying export approvals for rare-earth magnets—critical components used in electric vehicles, defense systems, and electronics—causing major disruptions for Western manufacturers, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In an extraordinary public statement, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency hailed the nation’s stunning success in Operation Rising Lion, calling it a “historic moment” that has significantly neutralized the Iranian threat after a 12-day aerial and covert campaign.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday that major developments are on the horizon for the Abraham Accords, including the addition of new member nations and the potential for a historic peace agreement with Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first televised appearance in nearly two weeks Thursday, claiming a “decisive victory” over Israel and the United States in the 12-day war that erupted earlier this month. In a broadcast aired on Iranian state television, Khamenei declared that Iran had “delivered a hand slap to America’s face” and vowed that any future aggression would come at a steep cost.
Fresh off a joint military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited a political firestorm in Israel by calling for the immediate cancellation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial. In a forceful Truth Social post Wednesday night, Trump blasted the proceedings as a “ridiculous Witch Hunt” against a “Great War Time Prime Minister.”