2023 military engagement in the Gaza Strip
On 13 December 2023, during the wider Israeli invasion of Gaza, Hamas forces carried out an ambush at Shuja'iyya. The ambush resulted in the deaths of 10 Israeli soldiers. One of the dead soldiers was Colonel Yitzhak Ben-Bashat.
Ambush.
The soldiers killed in Shuja'iyya fell victim to a coordinated ambush that began when Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade militants fired on a Golani force operating in the area. As the Golani Brigade soldiers approached the building, they came under attack with gunfire breaking out, accompanied by an explosive blast and the launch of grenades towards them. Four soldiers sustained injuries, leading to a loss of communication and raising fears of potential abduction into nearby tunnels.
Another force arrived to extract the soldiers and encountered a similar ambush, facing gunfire and explosive charges. A third force attempting to locate the stranded soldiers also faced combat. The battles persisted until the soldiers were rescued with the assistance of air support and artillery.
Israeli Maariv military correspondent described what happened as being a well-executed ambush. "The Golani force, which was present there initially, came under heavy gunfire. During the rescue operation, the unit which arrived also came under heavy gunfire, and as a result, the unit entered the booby-trapped building."
"The injuries were severe, and part of the building collapsed on the Israeli forces inside."
References.
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