The Israeli army announced on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, that five soldiers were killed and 14 others injured during clashes in northern Gaza.
In a statement, the military said: “Five soldiers from the ‘Netzah Yehuda’ Battalion of the Kfir Brigade were killed in battles in northern Gaza on Monday evening. Fourteen others were wounded, including two in serious condition.”
Later, the army released the names of two of the fallen soldiers: Staff Sergeant Meir Shimon Ammar (20) and Private Moshe Nissim Farash (20).
According to Israeli military data, the total number of soldiers killed since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, has risen to 888, including 444 killed in ground operations that began on October 27.
The total number of wounded soldiers has reached 6,060, including 2,768 injured in ground battles in Gaza.
Further details reported by Israeli Army Radio stated that the incident occurred Monday evening as a foot patrol from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion was moving through the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
Two explosive devices were planted on the route and detonated consecutively as the troops passed by.
While medics and rescue teams attempted to evacuate the wounded from the blast site, they came under ambush fire by armed fighters, resulting in additional casualties. The complexity of the scene led to a prolonged evacuation operation, and additional rescue forces were called in.
Army Radio noted that although the area had been subject to intense aerial bombardment in recent weeks, the explosives were detonated with precision as the unit passed, indicating prior planning and surveillance.
Regarding the ambush tactic, the radio reported that gunfire following explosive detonations has become a recurring pattern in recent weeks, with Hamas fighters employing similar tactics in previous incidents.
The final toll from this ambush reached five dead, mostly from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, and 14 wounded, including two in critical condition.
Channel 12 News questioned how such an ambush could succeed, citing Israeli military sources who said the ambush site in Beit Hanoun had been previously targeted by airstrikes in preparation for the ongoing ground offensive. The exact method by which the explosives were activated, however, remains unclear.