Yet another sad news from the war in the Middle East. The five Israeli soldiers killed yesterday in the northern Gaza Strip were hit by “friendly fire”, where intense fighting has resumed more than seven months after the start of the conflict against Hamas. Seven others were injured, three of them seriously. All served in the 202nd battalion of the Parachute Brigade. According to an initial investigation by the IDF, a tank operating with them in the Jabaliya camp fired two shells at a building where the soldiers were located. The armed forces had arrived in the area in the morning hours and several hours later the paratroopers had established a position in the building. Later in the evening, another group reached the area and informed two of the tanks present that they were entering the building. The tanks had subsequently identified the barrel of a rifle from one of the building’s windows and believed it to be enemy forces, thus deciding to fire two shots.
Their deaths bring to 278 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza military campaign since the ground offensive began on October 27. Clashes have been intense in recent days in northern Gaza and an Israeli army spokesman did not hesitate to admit that there had been “attempts by Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities” months after Israel declared the structure dismantled command of the Palestinian armed group in the area. Fierce battles and heavy Israeli shelling have been reported in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and in the central Nuseirat camp since the army launched a “targeted” operation focusing on the southern city of Rafah in early May . An endless conflict.
