Tunnel blast rocks Rafah: Two Israeli soldiers killed

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, two Israeli soldiers were killed and two others critically wounded in a tunnel explosion in Rafah, southern Gaza, as preparations intensify for a broader ground offensive.

In a statement, the Israeli military identified the fatalities as Captain Noam Ravid and First Sergeant Yali Sarur. “One of the critically injured is a member of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.”

A reservist from Battalion 7007 of the 16th Jerusalem Brigade was also seriously wounded during clashes a day earlier, the army added.

The incident comes as Israel ramps up its military posture in Gaza. According to Israeli media, tens of thousands of reservists have been called up ahead of a key security cabinet meeting expected to finalize decisions on expanding the operation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly endorsed the planned military escalation in principle.

Many of the newly mobilized forces are reportedly expected to replace regular troops currently stationed in the West Bank and along the northern border, allowing combat units to redeploy into Gaza.

While significant, the current mobilization reportedly remains smaller in scale compared to the one launched following the Hamas October 7, 2023, attack that left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 200 taken hostage.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 52,495 Palestinians—many of them women and children—and injuring over 118,365.

Israeli authorities say Hamas still holds 59 hostages—24 believed to be alive, with 35 confirmed dead. Officials have reportedly indicated plans to intensify air and ground operations to pressure the group into releasing the remaining captives.