Hamas ambush kills five soldiers in Israeli-controlled 'buffer zone'
Hamas fighters killed five Israeli soldiers and wounded at least 14 others on Monday in an ambush in Beit Hanoun, near the boundary with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred in an area that Israeli forces had forcibly emptied of Palestinian residents and designated a "buffer zone", where military operations have continued for months.
According to the Israeli military, an initial investigation found that the soldiers were targeted with roadside explosive devices during ground operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who received news of the attack while visiting Washington, mourned the troops.
“On this difficult morning, the entire People of Israel bows its head in mourning for the fall of our heroic fighters, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages,” he said in a statement.
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Abu Obeida, military spokesperson for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades, described the ambush as a “complex operation” and an “additional blow” to what he called “the prestige of the weak occupation army and its most criminal units in an area the occupation thought was safe after leaving no stone unturned.”
'The most foolish decision Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip'
- Abu Obeida, Qassam Brigades
In a statement on Telegram, he warned that Palestinian fighters would continue to inflict losses on Israeli forces.
“Even if the [Israeli army] miraculously succeeded recently in freeing its soldiers from hell, it may fail later, leaving us with additional prisoners.
“The most foolish decision Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip,” he added.
According to Israeli media, the ambush has been described as one of the deadliest attacks against Israeli ground forces since the start of the war in Gaza.
Reports pointed to an intelligence failure that allowed Palestinian fighters to track troop movements and plant explosives in key locations.
Israelis call for ending war
Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan 11, quoted a field officer from the Nahal Brigade who described the incident as “a complex firefight".
“The first explosive device struck the armoured vehicle. Then shells were fired at the personnel carrier and a D9 bulldozer, and finally, the evacuation team was targeted. We did not expect this multi-stage scenario,” he said.
The scale and coordination of the attack have reignited calls within Israel for an end to the war. Speaking to Kan 11, former major general Yiftah Ron Tal urged political leaders to prioritise a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal.
"We need to strive for one complete hostage deal. Whoever doesn't return in the upcoming deal - we are sealing their fate. Whoever doesn't return now, we could be handing them a death sentence," he said.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X: "For the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel: this war must be ended."
Indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange have been ongoing in Doha for three days.
A source told AFP that the current discussions are focused on the mechanisms for implementing a proposed deal, which would reportedly include a 60-day truce leading to a permanent end to the war.
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