<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-top-anchor"></div>
<div id="gmail-toolbar" class="gmail-toolbar-container">
</div><div class="gmail-container" lang="en-EN" dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element">
<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/resistance-kills-21-israeli-soldiers-in-southern-gaza-strip">english.almayadeen.net</a>
<div class="gmail-domain-border"></div>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Resistance kills 21 invading Israeli soldiers in central Gaza in 1 day</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
<div class="gmail-meta-data">
<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">January 23, 2024<br></div>
</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="gmail-content">
<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>The Israeli occupation forces spokesperson admits to the largest death toll since October 7 in an announcement.</p><img src="cid:ii_lrqldyea0" alt="39dae3da-91a5-49d2-9146-37faaba22b59.jpg" width="426" height="284"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
Israeli occupation soldiers lower the coffin of killed
Israeli officer near the occupation city of "Tel Aviv", occupied
Palestine, on November 3, 2023. <em>(AP)</em>
</li></div></ul>
<p>A total of 21 Israeli occupation soldiers and officers were killed by
the Palestinian Resistance in battles in the central Gaza Strip, an
announcement made by the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces
(IOF) revealed. Added to three soldiers reported killed earlier, the
death toll in 24 hours rises to 24. </p>
<h2>Ten killed in buildings laden with explosives</h2>
<p>A total of 21 Israeli occupation soldiers and officers were killed in
one operation by the Palestinian Resistance in the central Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>Earlier, the occupation's military had released the names of <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-occupation-forces-admits-3-officers-killed-in-khan-y">three occupation soldiers</a>
killed in the southern Gaza Strip, however, a recent statement
drastically pushed the toll up. Although the names of 10 soldiers and
officers, killed near Khan Younis were released, the remaining names
remain undisclosed due to the "sensitivity" of the information.</p>
<p>A statement released by the IOF, early on Tuesday morning, was
preceded by the circulation of a leaked list that included the names of
the 10 eliminated occupation soldiers on Israeli social media accounts
and media outlets.</p>
<p>Eventually, the IOF's spokesperson appeared in a televised broadcast
and revealed that the incident took place near Kibbutz Kissufim,
opposite several refugee camps and towns in the central Gaza Strip. He
said that 21 troops operating in an area just 600 meters away from the
separation fence were killed, as they prepared to demolish a number of
Palestinian homes in order to <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-extensively-bulldoze-in-central-gaza-to-create--buffer-z">establish a "buffer zone"</a>.</p>
<p>"As far as we know, at around 4 p.m., an RPG was fired by [Resistance
fighters] at a tank securing the forces, and simultaneously, an
explosion occurred at two two-story buildings. The buildings collapsed
due to this explosion, while most of the forces were inside and near
them," he asserted.</p>
<p>With the reported killings, the death toll of the Israeli army since
the start of the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip has risen to 221,
according to what was reported by the military correspondent for the
Israeli <em>Kan </em>channel, Itay Blumental.</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-soldiers-returning-from-gaza-feeling-defeated--repor">Israeli soldiers returning from Gaza feeling defeated, reports say</a></strong></p>
<h2>How did the Israeli soldiers die?</h2>
<p>While the statement provided a broad overview of the incidents, it
refrained from delving into the specific intricacies of the battle,
leaving the details of how the soldiers met their fate officially
undisclosed.</p>
<p>However, according to <em>The Times of Israel</em>, the soldiers were killed in one go after two large buildings in the Gaza Strip collapsed following a large explosion.</p>
<p>Other outlets said the Palestinian Resistance fighters fired two
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), which hit two buildings in the central
Gaza Strip. Importantly, the fighters had reportedly hit a large set of
mines that were being laid by Combat Engineering units, in preparation
for the demolition of the residential bloc.</p>
<p>Most of those announced killed served under the Gaza division's 261st
Infantry Brigade, which consists strictly of soldiers and officers
enlisted in the occupation's reserve force. The released list includes a
squad commander and a soldier serving under the 205th Armored Brigade.</p>
<p>Later, <strong>Al Mayadeen</strong>'s correspondent in Gaza reported
that the operation took place at the outskirts of al-Maghazi refugee
camp in the central Gaza Strip, adding that the incident confirms the
Resistance's ability to "strike anywhere".</p>
<h2>Fate of a Merkava crew remains a mystery </h2>
<p>In the context of the death toll update, both the spokesperson and
Israeli media outlets said that an Israeli tank came under attack.
However, no details further details were disclosed regarding the
incident.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced
at around 2:00 pm on Monday that its fighters had targeted an Israeli
Merkava tank to the west of the city of Khan Younis, with a l<a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gazas-homegrown-weapons:-how-hamas-pij-left-israel-in-shambl">ocally manufactured al-Yassin tandem RPG</a>.</p>
<p>Nearing midnight, the Brigades' military media provided a significant
update on the tank, saying that an Israeli rescue force attempted to
tow the destroyed tank, including its crew from the scene. However,
Resistance fighters engaged the military rescue force, thwarting the
attempt to pull the crew and tank out. Finally, the Brigades said that
an Israeli fighter jet proceeded to launch several strikes at the tank
which demolished it, killing its crew. </p>
<p>The Israeli military is yet to comment on the horrific incident, in which it <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/palestinian-resistance-treats-iof-officer---israel--kills-hi">deliberately eliminated its own troops</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/al-qassam-ambush-takes-down-30-israeli-soldiers-in-one-go">Al-Qassam ambush takes down 30 Israeli soldiers in one go</a></strong></p></div></div></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>