KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Seven soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces’ Combat Engineering Corps were killed Tuesday evening in a powerful explosion that struck an aging "Puma" armored personnel carrier (APC) in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF confirmed Wednesday.
The blast occurred around 6:30 p.m., while troops from the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion of the 188th Brigade were operating in the Khan Yunis area. A preliminary IDF investigation revealed that a terrorist managed to affix an explosive device to the APC, triggering the deadly explosion.
The names of six of the seven fallen soldiers have been cleared for publication:
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Lieutenant Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, from Kfar Yona – Platoon Commander, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
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Staff Sergeant Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, from Rehovot – Soldier, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
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Staff Sergeant Niv Radia, 20, from Elyakhin – Soldier, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
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Sergeant Ronen Shapiro, 19, from Mazkeret Batya – Soldier, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
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Sergeant Shahar Manoav, 21, from Ashkelon – Soldier, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
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Sergeant Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, from Eshhar – Soldier, 605th Combat Engineering Battalion
Efforts to extinguish the fire and recover the damaged APC involved firefighting units and a D9 bulldozer, which covered the vehicle with sand and extracted it back into Israeli territory.
The tragedy has raised questions within the defense establishment as to why a decades-old "Puma" APC was in use, rather than the more modern and heavily protected "Namer" armored vehicle, which is currently deployed with the Combat Engineering Corps' other battalions operating in Gaza.
Defense Minister Israel Katz paid tribute to the fallen, stating:
“I grieve the fall of Lieutenant Matan Shai Yashinovski, Sergeant Ronel Ben-Moshe, Sergeant Niv Radia, Sergeant Ronen Shapiro, Sergeant Shahar Manoav, Sergeant Maayan Baruch Perlstein, and another soldier whose name has not yet been released. Our soldiers fought bravely and fell during their mission to defend the State of Israel and bring our hostages home. I send my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and embrace them on behalf of the entire nation. May their memory be a blessing.”
During the same engagement, a force from the 605th Battalion, operating as part of the 51st Battalion’s combat team, also came under anti-tank fire. Two additional soldiers were wounded—one seriously, the other lightly.
The incident underscores the ongoing dangers faced by IDF troops in the Gaza Strip, as the conflict continues with high stakes and mounting casualties.
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