This attack, which comes more than eight months after the start of a deadly war which does not appear to be ending, is likely to fuel new calls for a ceasefire launched by Israeli demonstrators. It also comes as the government faces widespread anger over exemptions from military service granted to young ultra-Orthodox men.
Israel launched an air and ground invasion of Gaza in response to an October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas and other militants that left some 1,200 dead and took another 250 hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters. It also triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where more than 80% of the population has been displaced and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hampered efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, fueling widespread famine.
Saturday’s explosion took place in Rafah, a southern city that Israel has identified as the last major Hamas stronghold. Israel sent ground troops into the city in early May and has given no indication when the operation will end.
“They knew they might have to sacrifice their lives, but they did it so we could live in this country. I greet them and hug their families.”
– Statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in a message published on X
The army said the explosion occurred shortly after 5 a.m. in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said the explosion was caused either by an explosive planted by Hamas or by an anti-tank missile. “We must defeat the Hamas Rafah brigade and we will do it with determination,” he said.
In January, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in a single attack by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
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And the ceasefire?
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden unveiled a new ceasefire proposal aimed at freeing the approximately 120 hostages still in Gaza and ending the fighting. While the international community has largely endorsed the plan, both Israel and Hamas have expressed doubts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not stop the war until it achieves the twin goals of destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
“Today we paid another heartbreaking price in our just war in defense of the homeland,” Netanyahu said on Saturday. “It is with deep sadness, in great mourning, that I bow my head with all the citizens of Israel and mourn the fall of our heroic warriors.”
The inconclusive war has divided the Israeli public, with tens of thousands taking to the streets every Saturday evening to demand the government reach a deal that would bring the hostages home. The Israeli government has already declared the deaths of more than 40 of the hostages held by Hamas, and authorities fear that number will increase as the captivity continues.
At a rally Saturday evening, participants watched a video message from Andrey Kozlov, who was rescued from Hamas captivity a week ago.
“More than 120 hostages are still there, and I cannot feel the full joy of this situation because I was rescued and not them,” he said, according to the headquarters of the Family Forum. hostages. “I ask that they return home as quickly as possible. Israel, the world, Hamas, I ask you to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
Speaking at the weekly gathering of hostage families in Tel Aviv, Rotem Kalderon, son of hostage Ofer Kalderon, said he was not ready to “live in a world full of dead people.”
“I am not ready to live in a country with a government that sends us to settle on the borders and fight wars and then abandons us in the end,” he said. “I’m not ready to live without a father.”
Controversial exemptions from military service
The deadly explosion also comes days after Mr Netanyahu’s coalition voted to extend controversial military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
Although the vote was only procedural, it caused an outcry at a time when Israel continues to battle Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah militants along the country’s northern border with Lebanon, and the number of deaths continue to increase. More than 600 soldiers have been killed in fighting since October 7, according to the army.
Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered an end to government subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the military. But Mr. Netanyahu’s government, which includes politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, has found ways to continue pouring money into religious institutions.
The government still has to adopt a new bill.
Most Jewish men and women are required to serve in the military starting at age 18. Exemptions granted to religious men have long been a source of disagreement among public opinion.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was the only member of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition to vote against this week’s bill. Mr. Gallant, a member of the country’s war cabinet, insisted that all sectors of Israeli society contribute equally to the war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
If Mr. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox partners leave the government, the country will be forced to hold new elections at a time when Mr. Netanyahu’s popularity is low and his re-election prospects are questionable.
During an anti-government demonstration on Saturday, thousands of people demanded new elections and the release of the hostages.
“The fact that eight soldiers were killed today only highlights the need for change,” said Amir Schnabel, one of the protesters. “We cannot live in this reality for long. If eight soldiers were killed today, others will be killed the next day and the day after that. The only way to change things is to protest and bring down the government, and we must do it as quickly as possible.”
Months of ceasefire negotiations have failed to find common ground between Israel and Hamas. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas had proposed changes to a US-backed plan, some of which were “workable” and some of which were not.
Hamas has continued to demand a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as part of any agreement providing for the release of the hostages. Although the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden included both provisions, Hamas expressed concern over whether Israel would commit to them.
Meanwhile, violence has erupted in the West Bank since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. On Saturday, a 16-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces near the northern city of Nablus, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry. An Israeli security official confirmed that Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who threw stones at troops during a counterterrorism operation in the area. He spoke on condition of anonymity, pending an official announcement from the army.
