Terrorists stormed an IDF checkpoint on the outskirts of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood and threw an explosive device at a tank parked at the entrance. The tank exploded, killing Sergeant Uri Lamed, Sergeant Gadi Kotal, Sergeant Amit Aryeh Regev and another soldier inside. The army is investigating whether the cell infiltrated through a nearby tunnel, but according to the initial investigation, there was no attempt to kidnap soldiers. At least one terrorist was eliminated, and a soldier from the Nahal Brigade was moderately wounded.
Yoav Zeiton
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The IDF has authorized the publication of four armored fighters killed this morning (Monday) in a Hamas guerrilla attack on an army guard on the outskirts of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip. The names of three have been authorized for publication: Staff Sergeant Uri Lamed (20) from Tel Mond, Sergeant Gadi Kotal (20) from Kibbutz Afikim, and Sergeant Amit Aryeh Regev (19) from Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut - all from the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Regular Armored Brigade. The name of the fourth casualty has not yet been authorized for publication.
From right to left: Sergeant Amit Aryeh Regev, Sergeant Uri Lamed, and Sergeant Gadi Kotal (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The incident began at around 6:00 AM, when a squad of three terrorists arrived at the defense zone, located on the outskirts of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City. The terrorists threw an explosive device into a tank that was manned outside the defense zone, which exploded - killing the four crew members inside. The terrorists also fired at the tank commander. Another soldier from the 50th Battalion of the Nahal Brigade was moderately wounded in the leg during an exchange of fire with the terrorists.
The force in the defensive position was combined, with a combat team from the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Nahal Brigade and an armored force from the 401st Brigade, which has been operating in the entrance area to Gaza City in recent weeks. It should be noted that the terrorists did not penetrate the defensive position, and the encounter with the tank crew occurred at the entrance to it. The fighters were not sleeping inside the tank during the incident, and initial findings indicate that the crew was alert and conducted searches in the area.
The fighters inside the defense were awake as part of the"alert at dawn" procedure, and also because they had returned about an hour earlier from a nighttime offensive operation. They returned fire at the terrorists to thwart their penetration of the defense, hitting at least two of them. At least one terrorist was eliminated in the exchange of fire with the fighters of Battalion 50, and some of the terrorists apparently managed to escape. The forces are conducting searches to eliminate explosives in the area and carefully locate the bodies of the terrorists. According to the initial investigation, there was no attempt to kidnap a soldier.
The army is investigating whether the terrorists infiltrated through a nearby tunnel that was not detected. The commanders in the defense were also awake at the time of the incident because they were discussing a situation assessment. Hamas has concentrated its efforts in recent weeks to carry out guerrilla attacks on IDF defenses in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of trying to catch the soldiers who are worn out and not alert. On average, this is an attempt once a week to carry out such operations, which usually end in repelling the terrorists or demoralizing them.
903 soldiers have fallen since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, 459 of them since the ground maneuvers in the Gaza Strip began about three weeks later.
The Palestinians reported widespread attacks in Gaza City this afternoon, and media outlets in the Strip claimed that IDF forces imposed a"belt of fire" on it. In the shade
Army preparations for the conquest of the city
The IDF provided
Early warning to residents of several buildings
, and then it was reported in Gaza that one of the buildings was attacked twice.
Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed the destruction of operational activity in the Gaza Strip, writing on his X-network account that"Today a huge hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City and the roofs of the terror towers will shake. This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons - or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be destroyed." Katz added that "the IDF is continuing as planned and is preparing to expand the maneuver to overwhelm Gaza."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Air Force base today, and
Revealed that in just two days, the IDF brought down"50 terror towers"
According to him,"This is just the opening of the intense action of the ground maneuver in Gaza City. I promised you a few days ago that we would bring down the terror towers in Gaza, that's exactly what we are doing. In the last two days, 50 such towers have fallen, the Air Force took them down. Now all of this is just an introduction, just the opening, to the main intense action - a ground maneuver of our forces, which are now organizing and gathering, into Gaza City."
He warned the residents who had not yet left the "Hamas capital," which he had repeatedly defined as "the last stronghold of the terrorist organization" - and addressed them: "Therefore, I say to the residents of Gaza, I am taking advantage of this opportunity, and listen to me carefully - see, you have been warned, get out of there!"
