Hamas gunmen launched a rare raid on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) encampment in southern Gaza on Wednesday morning, leaving four Israeli soldiers wounded, one of them seriously. According to a military probe cited by the Times of Israel, at least 18 Hamas operatives emerged from a tunnel in the Khan Younis area at around 9am and opened fire with machine guns and RPGs as they advanced on a position manned by the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion. Some of the attackers managed to breach the perimeter, sparking close-quarters combat inside the compound.The IDF said its troops fought back with small arms and air support, killing around ten of the militants, while eight others retreated into the tunnel. “The troops identified more than 15 terrorists who emerged from a tunnel and opened fire, including RPG fire, at the forces,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters. “In the same incident, several terrorists entered a building where our forces were residing, and the terrorists were eliminated. We are investigating how this occurred, and will draw the necessary conclusions.”Footage released by the army showed airstrikes carried out to support the soldiers and a tank from the 74th Armored Battalion ramming into an RPG-wielding fighter. Videos circulating online also showed the bodies of two operatives inside the encampment. The wounded soldiers were all members of the Nahshon Battalion, with one in serious condition and two listed in good condition, according to the IDF.In a statement, the military described the battle as “close-quarters combat,” adding that its forces were still pursuing other militants believed to have been involved in the attack. “Kfir Brigade fighters eliminated approximately ten terrorists after they opened fire on them,” the IDF said.The incident came the same day Israel approved a major new settlement project in the occupied West Bank, drawing swift international criticism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the planned construction in the highly sensitive E1 area “poses an existential threat to the two-state solution.” Britain, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority also condemned the decision, warning it would sever the West Bank and entrench division.
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