The Israel Defense Forces suffered its worst day in terms of casualties on Monday since the war against Hamas began with the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against the Jewish state.
The IDF said that 21 of its soldiers were killed in action in Gaza as part of the war effort. The troops were near Khan Younis when they were attacked, according to the Israeli military.
21 IDF soldiers were killed in action yesterday (Monday) as they continued to operate against Hamas centers of gravity in southern Gaza.
Based on the information available at this stage, the troops were operating in eastern Gaza near Khan Younis. The forces were operating to…— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 23, 2024
“The forces were operating to remove structures and terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the security of Israeli communities,” the IDF said in a Tuesday post on X. “During the activity to remove the threat, at approximately 16:00 (IST), it appears that an RPG missile was fired by Hamas terrorists toward a tank which was securing the force.”
“Simultaneously, there was an explosion which resulted in the collapse of 2 two-story structures while many troops were either inside or nearby,” the post continued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Monday was “one of the most difficult days since the outbreak of the war” in a statement on Tuesday.
“In this war, there have been great achievements, including today, in completing the encirclement of Khan Yunis, but there have also been very heavy costs,” Netanyahu said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The fighting between Hamas and Israel has occurred for nearly four months since Hamas launched terrorist attacks against Israel in October and took several hundred hostages into Gaza.
Since the war began, some hostages were released in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. Since the ceasefire ended on Nov. 30, 2023, Hamas has kept the status of most of the remaining hostages a mystery. Another deal for the release of more hostages appears to be far off.
