Israeli newspaper Maariv has reported that the Israeli army is deeply mired in what it describes as the "quagmire of Gaza," amid heavy fighting with Palestinian resistance. According to the paper, even Israel’s most advanced and well-protected tanks have proven vulnerable in Gaza’s volatile combat environment.

Maariv highlighted a recent attack on an Israeli Merkava tank in Jabalia, northern Gaza, which led to the deaths of three Israeli soldiers and the serious injury of an officer. The Israeli military admitted these losses, adding to the grim toll of 43 soldiers killed since the latest phase of the war resumed last month and bringing the total number of military fatalities since the start of the war in October 2023 to 893.

Israeli military radio confirmed the casualties occurred after a resistance ambush targeted the Merkava tank, which caught fire while the soldiers were inside. The incident underscores the continued challenges Israel faces in urban combat in Gaza, where resistance fighters have shown the ability to inflict damage even on Israel’s most fortified military assets.

The report noted that the Israeli army is uncertain whether the weapon used to destroy the tank was a missile or another explosive device. This lack of clarity, coupled with the repeated losses in northern Gaza, has further deepened concerns within the Israeli political and military leadership about the ongoing campaign’s cost and effectiveness.