Defense Minister Israel Katz visited wounded soldiers from the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion and a noncommissioned officer from the Gaza Division at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva on Thursday morning.
They had been wounded the previous day during a clash with terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip.
“The entire people of Israel are proud of you. We will continue to act forcefully against any violation [of the ceasefire] and against Hamas’s terror infrastructure in Gaza—until the last hostage is returned and all of Hamas’s capabilities are destroyed,” the minister told the men.
Katz also spoke with the soldiers’ families, offered them support and expressing his deep appreciation for their courage and their determined actions against the terrorists, the statement read.
“I wish all the wounded a full and speedy recovery,” he said.
The defense minister was accompanied by Israel Defense Forces casualty officers and Professor Dan Schwarzfuchs, head of the emergency department and deputy director of Soroka Medical Center.
A soldier was severely wounded, with three others sustaining lighter injuries, on Wednesday after encountering terrorists leaving a tunnel in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
According to Channel 12 news, terrorists detonated an explosive device on the troops’ armored vehicle, who responded by killing two terrorists. At least one terrorist escaped through the tunnel, the Israeli television station reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intimated that the attack constituted a violation of the terms of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“I wish a speedy recovery to our brave fighters who were wounded today in the encounter in Rafah. The Hamas terrorist organization continues to violate the ceasefire agreement and carries out terrorist attacks against our forces. Our policy is clear: Israel will not tolerate the targeting of IDF troops and will respond accordingly,” he said, according to a statement.
Earlier on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the headquarters of the Southern Command’s 80th “Edom” Reserve Infantry Division.
“We are operating across all arenas, near and far, against complex threats that are taking shape against us,” he told the troops.
“We must be prepared on every border and in every arena for a sudden terror threat,” Zamir continued. “In the Negev, security and the civilian population are intertwined—this is a clear principle we operate by. We must continue to strengthen the connection with the civilian population and the security components in the area.”
The IDF said Thursday that troops operating in the southern Gaza Strip opened fire on a terrorist who crossed the ceasefire-instituted Yellow Line and advanced toward soldiers, posing an immediate threat.
“Following the identification, the troops opened fire toward the terrorist in order to remove the threat. A hit was identified,” the military stated.
The military noted that IDF troops remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and would “continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.”
