The deadly incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, when an explosion struck a “Puma” armored personnel carrier (APC) carrying soldiers from the IDF’s 605th Battalion during operations in the southern Gaza Strip. The preliminary investigation found that an explosive device was attached to the APC by a fighter, resulting in a catastrophic blast.

The Israeli military confirmed the names of the seven soldiers killed:

• Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski (21), Kfar Yona
• Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe (20), Rehovot
• Staff Sgt. Niv Radia (20), Elyakhin
• Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov (21), Kiryat Yam
• Sgt. Ronen Shapiro (19), Mazkeret Batya
• Sgt. Shahar Manoav (21), Ashkelon
• Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein (20), Eshhar

All served in the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion of the 188th Brigade.

Military Response and Aftermath

Following the explosion, firefighting teams and IDF soldiers used a D9 bulldozer to cover the burning APC with sand and tow it back into Israeli territory. The IDF has not yet publicly explained why such a dated vehicle was deployed instead of the more modern Namera APC, which is standard for engineering units in the Gaza theater.

Earlier Incident on Same Day

Prior to the deadly explosion, at 4:25 p.m., a separate engagement occurred between IDF troops and Hamas fighters in the same region. The 605th Battalion, operating with the 51st Battalion's team, came under anti-tank fire. Two soldiers were wounded—one seriously, the other lightly.