Protesters filled the streets Saturday in Tel Aviv to demand early elections and the return of the remaining hostages taken during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
The latest round of protests came as the Israeli military lost eight soldiers to an explosion in southern Gaza, one of the single biggest setbacks for the military during the war.
Chanting slogans and waving Israeli flags, protesters called for an immediate cease-fire to bring the hostages home and end the war. Others called for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Saturday that Israel must press on with the war to destroy Hamas despite “the heavy and agonizing price.”
…
Israeli soliders killed…
Eight Israeli soldiers were killed while riding in an armored vehicle in southern Gaza on Saturday, the Israeli military said, as the Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah continued to exact a toll among its troops.
The deaths occurred around 5:15 a.m. as Israeli troops operated in the northwest part of Tel al-Sultan, a neighborhood in western Rafah, the Israeli military said. The eight soldiers — who belonged to the military’s engineering corps — were riding in an armored vehicle when the blast occurred, the military said.
Hamas, the Palestinian armed group, said in a statement that its militants had fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli military vehicles in western Rafah, killing some soldiers. It was not immediately clear whether it was an explosive device that damaged the vehicle or anti-tank missile fire, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, told reporters.
The explosion damaged the vehicle but might have also ignited munitions inside, Israeli military officials said, adding that the blast was severe enough to make finding and identifying the bodies difficult….
…
Rafah Crossing status….
The United States, Egypt and Israel are in talks to reopen the crossing — also vital for aid deliveries to the Strip — though little progress has been made. The Israeli rights group Gisha said it successfully lobbied for 18 Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of Jerusalem to leave Gaza in late May through Kerem Shalom, another southern crossing….
Jun 15, 2024 – ISW Press
Unidentified Palestinian fighters conducted an IED attack targeting the IDF 401st Armored Brigade in Tel al Sultan on June 15, killing eight IDF soldiers. The IED attack struck an IDF Namer armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV), damaging the vehicle and killing the occupants.
image….Protesters gathered Saturday in Tel Aviv to demand early elections and a return of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Credit…Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty