At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Monday, January 8 – one of the highest daily death tolls since Israel began its war with Hamas following the Palestinian armed group’s attack on Israel. October 7.
Six of the Israeli soldiers died in an explosion in a tunnel belonging to Hamas that contained parts of a weapons factory, a reporter for the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported.
Reporter Ron Ben Yishai said the tunnel reeked of ammonia and explosive chemicals and warned that “any spark” could create a terrible explosion.
Ben Yishai was part of a group of reporters invited to tour the tunnel just hours before it exploded.
9 Israeli soldiers died in Gaza on January 8. Messenger photo
Reporter Ben Yishai recounted after visiting the underground network: “From one room, there are stairs leading down to the basement – where Hamas produces propellant for their long-range rockets. The brigadier general came down the stairs, and we followed him. The strong smell of ammonia and other chemicals filled our noses. I felt a burning sensation in my eyes.”
“Fearing for our safety, we did not go deeper into the explosives production tunnel but just peeked inside. The reason is not only the fear of respiratory poisoning but also because these places are explosive. Any spark could create an explosion, as it sometimes does,” reporter Ben Yishai wrote.
A report in Haaretz newspaper said the explosion occurred after an Israeli army ammunition truck was sent to destroy a tunnel discovered in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.
Idan Amedi, a famous Israeli actor who appeared in the popular Netflix series Fauda, was also seriously injured in the explosion. He was serving as a reservist in the Combat Engineering Corps when he was injured.
According to Israeli media, Amedi was taken to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan around 4 p.m. on Monday, January 8 and underwent emergency, serious and lengthy surgery.
Shortly before his injury, Amedi was interviewed by an Israeli television reporter in Gaza and said he was “a little tired, but fine”.
Turning to the camera, Amedi said: “We are doing our best for everyone’s safety. We really love you.” The explosion that injured him and killed six teammates occurred right after that interview.