21 IDF Soldiers Killed While Rigging Gaza Buildings for Demolition, Hamas Triggered Explosions With RPG

As the chief of the Israel Defense Forces vowed Tuesday to carry out an “in-depth” investigation into a deadly blast in the Gaza Strip a day earlier, which killed 21 soldiers, the military released new details of its initial probe of the incident.

The explosion on Monday afternoon, which collapsed two buildings on soldiers about 600 meters from the Israeli border, close to the community of Kissufim, was the single deadliest incident since the start of Israel’s ground offensive in the enclave and raised the military death toll in the operation to 219.

According to new details from the IDF’s investigation, Hamas operatives fired an RPG missile at one of the buildings while hiding in a nearby plantation.

The two buildings had been rigged up with around 20 mines for detonation, as part of the army’s efforts to establish a buffer zone between Israel and Gaza, which the IDF has said is aimed at enabling residents of Israeli border communities to return to their homes. The buffer zone is thought to be aimed at giving the army a clearer view of the Strip to prevent potential infiltration attempts.

The RPG fire from a few dozen meters away likely set off the mines, causing the structures to collapse and killing 19 soldiers inside and near them, the IDF’s probe said.

An IDF tank guarding the operation spotted the Hamas operatives and was about to return fire, but before it managed to do so, the gunmen fired another RPG, hitting the tank and killing two troops.

Here is the famous Al-Maghazi operation from Al-Qassam Brigades’ perspective. First they target a building position with an RPG or TBG-7V, hard to tell but I think an RPG. Then hit a Merkava with a Yassin. Then detonate the IED minefield. Captions below. pic.twitter.com/9OYFxzGL8o

— 🔻 The Nature Boy 🇵🇸 (@BigTimeCommie) January 23, 2024

0:13 - Targeting a building in which an engineering force is barricaded.
0:24 - Targeting a Merkava tank with an Al-Yassin shell.
0:28 - The moment a minefield detonated in the zionist force.
0:30 - "Detonate it. Allah is the Greatest. Dead, Allah willing."

— 🔻 The Nature Boy 🇵🇸 (@BigTimeCommie) January 23, 2024

Israel continues to demolish Khan Yunis, Gaza. pic.twitter.com/XUlytpUYyt

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 20, 2024

🇵🇸🇮🇱 Hamas release a video obtained by IDF soldiers' cameras, which shows the moments leading up to the landmine explosion which lead to the death of over 20 soldiers. pic.twitter.com/wEk1QXY8xv

— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) January 24, 2024