Two Israeli soldiers were killed and two others wounded Saturday when a booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded in Rafah, southern Gaza, the IDF reported. The victims were identified as Cpt. Noam Ravid, 23, and Staff Sgt. Yaly Seror, 20—both members of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.
The explosion occurred while troops were inspecting a tunnel entrance inside a building. One of the wounded soldiers is in serious condition. This brings the total number of Israeli military deaths in the Gaza conflict to 416.
Elsewhere in Gaza, a reservist from the Jerusalem Brigade’s 7007th Battalion was seriously injured in northern Gaza, while two soldiers from the 401st Armored Brigade were wounded in a separate blast—possibly from a premature tank shell detonation or a mortar strike.
As the IDF prepares to expand its operations, tens of thousands of reservists are being called up.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. Amid Israel’s blockade, which began in March to pressure Hamas into releasing 59 remaining hostages, locals report looting of UN warehouses, shops, and bakeries in northern Gaza. Aid organizations warn of lawlessness and starvation.
The UN and aid groups have pushed back against Israeli proposals to control aid delivery through a single southern crossing, warning it could violate international law and worsen civilian suffering.
Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry said it has killed six and wounded 13 in recent efforts to curb looting, and has imposed curfews in some areas.
As food supplies vanish, families in areas like Beit Lahiya are left desperate. “Even bread is hard to find,” one resident said.
The international community continues to debate how to ensure aid reaches those in need without compromising humanitarian principles.
