Qassam Brigades report killing or wounding 19 Israeli soldiers in Rafah ambushes as Israeli studies reveal a growing mental health crisis among troops.
The Al-Qassam Brigades announced on Thursday that they had killed or wounded 19 Israeli soldiers in two separate operations in the al-Tannour neighborhood, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli occupation army later confirmed the deaths of two soldiers from the Engineering and Golani Brigades, along with serious injuries to two officers and two other soldiers during battles in the area.
According to Al-Qassam, its fighters targeted a 12-member Israeli engineering unit attempting to rig a house near the al-Fedai Junction with explosives.
The force was struck with two anti-personnel and anti-tank missiles, triggering a powerful explosion that destroyed the house. Israeli helicopters were seen evacuating casualties shortly after the attack.
The genocide of the occupation soldiers. The Qassam Brigades announces the killing and wounding of 19 Zionists, whose remains were scattered in the air in the Tannour neighborhood east of Rafah. "The Gates of Hell"🔻🔻🔻🔥 pic.twitter.com/b7D1EXFGDd
— Gaza’s News (@yemen24a) May 8, 2025
In a second operation near the Omar bin Abdul Aziz Mosque, a seven-soldier infantry unit was targeted with a highly explosive device, leaving the remains of multiple soldiers scattered at the scene, according to the Brigades.
These operations, part of what Al-Qassam has called ‘The Gates of Hell’, are part of the Palestinian resistance’s ongoing response to Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza.
Israeli media aired footage of wounded soldiers being evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in West Jerusalem and Ashkelon, including Barzilai Hospital. Reports also indicated that additional soldiers remain trapped beneath rubble in Gaza following the ambush.
Official Israeli military data reports 856 soldiers killed since October 7, including eight since fighting resumed on March 18, following the breakdown of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
In total, 5,847 soldiers have been wounded, with 2,641 injured in ground battles inside Gaza. These official figures include casualties from Gaza, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon.
Despite these statistics, Israel is accused of concealing the true scale of its losses.
Palestinian resistance groups have issued numerous statements of operations resulting in Israeli deaths and injuries, often unacknowledged by Israeli officials.
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Analysts and rights organizations have long pointed to Israel’s tight military censorship, aimed in part at maintaining public morale and political cohesion.
Meanwhile, an investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and a new study by Tel Aviv University have shed light on the severe psychological toll the war has taken on Israeli troops.
According to the study, one in eight Israeli soldiers who served in Gaza is now deemed mentally unfit to return to duty. Among reservists, 12% reported severe post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, rendering them unfit for service.
The findings reflect growing concern within the Israeli establishment over battlefield fatigue and rising rates of soldiers abandoning their units.
(PC, AJA)
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