At least one Israeli soldier was killed and nine others injured, most in critical or serious condition, after an Israeli military unit fell into a carefully prepared minefield ambush by the Palestinian resistance in eastern Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Ambush Targets Elite Israeli Tracker Unit
According to Hebrew media sources, the Israeli unit involved was composed of elite “trackers” (combat scouts) tasked with clearing safe paths and conducting reconnaissance for advancing occupation forces. As they entered the eastern outskirts of Khan Younis, they were hit by a pre-installed minefield detonated by the resistance.
Hebrew reports added that the unit commander was among the wounded, with three soldiers in critical condition and four others in serious condition.
Israeli military helicopters were dispatched to the area to evacuate the wounded to Ichilov Hospital, highlighting the severity of the incident and the high-ranking nature of the unit involved.
Second Major Blow in Two Days
This ambush comes just one day after a similar operation in Rafah, where Al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) detonated two explosive devices inside the command compartments of two Israeli armoured personnel carriers, targeting a Golani Brigade unit. That attack led to multiple casualties.
The Israeli military has acknowledged that a captain and a sergeant from its Golani Infantry Brigade were killed in the resistance ambush in the town of Abasan, east of Khan Younis.
The military spokesperson confirmed the identities of the fallen:
- Captain Amir Saad, 22, a Druze officer specialising in technology and maintenance.
- Sergeant Einon Nuriel Fana, also from the same division.
Though the army confirmed the fatalities occurred in southern Gaza, it withheld exact location details.
Striking Symbolism: Lineage of the Fallen
Hebrew sources highlighted that Captain Amir Saad had just received a new rank a week earlier and was related to Aliem Saad, the former deputy commander of the 300th Brigade in the Galilee Division, who was killed by Islamic Jihad fighters attempting to infiltrate Palestine from southern Lebanon on October 10, 2023.
Al-Qassam Publishes Rare and Detailed Statement
In a move uncharacteristic for its rapid timing, Al-Qassam Brigades issued a detailed military communiqué shortly after the ambush. The statement read:
“In a complex ambush operation… Qassam fighters succeeded in targeting two Zionist APCs (armoured personnel carriers) with two martyrdom-grade explosive devices planted directly within their command compartments, resulting in the vehicles burning along with their crews. Following this, a third APC was struck with a Yassin-105 anti-tank shell in the area of Abasan Al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis.”
The statement added:
“Our fighters observed an Israeli military bulldozer attempting to bury the destroyed vehicles to extinguish the flames, alongside the arrival of Israeli helicopters for evacuation.”
