The Palestinian Resistance says the number is much higher, but Israel has admitted that dozens of its soldiers were killed in a single morning, described by the Israeli president as ‘hard to bear’.
Early Tuesday, the Israeli army announced that 21 officers and soldiers were killed by the Palestinian Resistance in fighting in central Gaza.
The announcement came shortly after the Israeli army said that 13 of their officers and soldiers were killed last night in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
However, the Israeli army, later on, claimed that the number of Israeli soldiers and officers killed in the last 24 hours had totaled 24.
The latest Israeli number contradicts earlier figures provided by Daniel Hagari, the Israeli army spokesman, who said that 21 Israeli officers and soldiers were killed when two buildings were blown up in the Maghazi refugee camp by shells fired by Al-Qassam Brigades fighters.
🚨DANIEL HAGARI: Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari described the fighting in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip as harsh. Hagari revealed during a press conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning the circumstances of the killing of 21 Israeli soldiers in the Maghazi camp… pic.twitter.com/nQBCBMEwqx
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 23, 2024
Reports indicate that the soldiers were in the process of blowing up the building themselves by placing explosives in and around the two buildings.
Hagari also said that the rescue operation has lasted throughout the night.
Minutes earlier, however, Hagari had declared that 13 Israeli officers and officers were killed in fighting in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza in the last 12 hours.
The estimation of Israel’s military casualties in Khan Yunis does not include two high-ranking officers and a soldier, who were killed in Khan Yunis earlier on Monday.
For its part, the Al-Qassam Brigades said that more soldiers were killed in several operations throughout central and southern Gaza.
They include a number of soldiers who were killed or wounded when an Israeli personnel carrier was hit with a Yassin-105 anti-armor missile in Khan Yunis.
Another Resistance group, the Al-Quds Brigades, said that they have shelled with a barrage of mortar shells Israeli soldiers stationed in an area near Khan Yunis.
It is believed that the Palestinian Resistance is obtaining precise information regarding the positions of invading Israeli troops through multiple drones that they have downed or seized in recent days.
‘Hard to Bear’
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that this has been a very difficult morning for Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that the news is hard to bear.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that the 21 soldiers in Maghazi is a very high number.
Israeli War Council Minister Benny Gantz said that this is a very difficult morning for the entire Israeli people.
22 Israeli soldiers were killed and wounded in Khan Yunis.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 22, 2024
Yesterday, the Al-Qassam Brigades reported that an Israeli airplane has carried out the Hannibal Directive by bombing and ‘flattening’ an Israeli tank with everyone inside, after it was hit by an Al-Qassam missile.
The group said that the targeting of the tank followed the Israeli army’s failure to rescue those inside, due to the stiff resistance of Palestinian fighters.
This is a developing story ..
(The Palestine Chronicle)
