Two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza attacks

Jerusalem

Two Israeli soldiers died and three others were badly hurt in two separate attacks in southern Gaza on Thursday, said the Israeli military on Friday. These incidents happened in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, where Israeli troops are carrying out operations.

In the first attack, 20-year-old combat engineer Sergeant Yishai Urbach was killed when Hamas militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at a building where Israeli troops were present. Two other soldiers were also injured, one seriously. They were flown by helicopter to a hospital in central Israel.

In a separate incident, 21-year-old Sergeant Yam Frid of the Golani Brigade was killed after an explosive device hit the tank he was in. Two other soldiers in the tank were also seriously wounded.

Hamas claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group said it ambushed a group of 12 Israeli soldiers inside a house in Rafah, firing RPGs and using explosives. So far, 418 Israeli soldiers have died since the ground offensive in Gaza began, based on Israeli media reports.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that over the last 24 hours, it has attacked more than 60 targets in Gaza. These included weapon storage sites, militant hideouts, and other Hamas infrastructure.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that humanitarian aid would soon be delivered to Gaza. Security teams will handle aid delivery to make sure Hamas does not interfere, while Israeli troops will protect the area during the operation.