5 Israeli soldiers killed, 7 injured in friendly fire tank incident in northern Gaza

IDF reportedly prepared for extended operation in Rafah, if approved by the cabinet

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Five Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded on Wednesday evening in a friendly fire incident involving two tanks in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to initial reports from Israel Defense Forces, the military tanks, which were operating in cooperation with paratroopers from the 202nd Battalion, arrived at the site in the morning several hours before the soldiers. When the paratroopers arrived, they established a post in the building where the attack happened. They notified the two tanks of their arrival and said they were entering the building.

Sometime later, the tank forces identified a gun barrel sticking out of one of the windows and, believing it was a threat to the paratroopers, fired two shells.

The IDF said it is continuing to investigate the incident.

The fallen soldiers were identified as:

Cpt. Roy Beit Yaakov, 22, from Eli.

Staff Sgt. Gilad Arye Boim, 22, from Karnei Shomron.

Sgt. Daniel Chemu, 20, from Tiberias.

Sgt. Ilan Cohen, 20, a lone soldier from Argentina, who emigrated to Israel after completing high school.

Staff Sgt. Betzlel David Shashuah, 21, from Tel Aviv.

According to the Jerusalem Post, tanks in the area have been under "extreme pressure" from rocket-propelled grenade attacks, leading to the closure of all hatches and openings to minimize vulnerability. This, however, has limited visibility for the tank crews.

It is unclear why the tank crew did not recognize the building as being the same location as the Paratroopers' temporary headquarters, since it was located only dozens of meters from their location.

Throughout the Gaza War, there have been a few incidents of friendly fire involving a failure to clarify forward troop locations or units firing outside of their designated fire zone.

The IDF also reported that 150 terrorists have been eliminated during the operations in Jabaliya. The military activity is expected to conclude in the near future.

In Rafah, following a buildup of troops in preparation for an expanded operation, the IDF's 89th Commando Brigade entered the combat zone in the southern town near the Egyptian border.

There are currently three brigades operating in Rafah after the entry of the Commando Brigade.

Overnight, IDF troops located several tunnels in Rafah. The forces also encountered several terror squads, engaging them in close-range combat.

The IDF engineering corps successfully neutralized dozens of IEDs that had been planted to injure soldiers. The explosives were destroyed without causing any injuries to Israeli forces.

The cabinet is expected to meet this evening to discuss expanding the operation in Rafah. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has reportedly been briefed on several options for the operation.