Nine Israeli soldiers died in a single attack in northern Gaza on Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces since the start of their ground operation on October 27.
The news shocked Israel, still reeling from the October 7 terror attack by Hamas. However, analysts believe that the incident is unlikely to diminish support for the war among the Israeli public, given the high stakes involved.
The official count reports that 115 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have lost their lives in combat in Gaza since the invasion began. In contrast, the death toll among Palestinians in Gaza is substantially higher. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza claims that 18,412 Palestinians have been killed as of Tuesday. CNN is unable to verify this number independently, but the IDF has stated that they have targeted over 22,000 locations in Gaza since the war started.
"At this moment, the Israeli public perceives the threat from Hamas military capabilities as significant enough to justify a high number of casualties to eliminate it," stated Miri Eisin, a security expert and retired IDF Colonel, in an interview with CNN.
Eisin, whose husband and three children are serving in the IDF, clarified, "This does not mean I am willing to sacrifice my children."
"No, it means that I dont know how I can live here unless we destroy Hamas."
The infant intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, Gaza is seen destroyed after being targeted by the Israeli army on November 19, 2023. (Photo by Abdulqader Sabbah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Still, the attack on Tuesday hit Israelis hard, and not just because of the high number of dead.
"The combination of a specific brigade bearing the brunt of the casualties and the significant number of high-ranking officers lost has been particularly devastating. We are feeling the pain today," Eisin expressed.
"Losing soldiers is always difficult, but when it reaches this level of command, it truly hits hard. These are leaders who were in charge of hundreds of soldiers," she further commented.
The incident highlighted the unpredictable nature of the current war Israel is conducting in Gaza, Eisin explained. Initially, the operation involved aerial and artillery attacks, resulting in numerous Palestinian casualties but keeping Israeli soldiers safe due to IDF's air superiority. However, with the deployment of ground forces, the dynamics changed. The IDF reported that Hamas had devoted considerable time to preparing for the war, constructing an extensive tunnel network and establishing traps and defenses. This likely explains why the ongoing invasion has proven more deadly for the IDF than the 2014 ground operation in Gaza, which lasted 51 days and resulted in 67 Israeli soldiers being killed.
"In the context of urban warfare, the defender always has the advantage, which is why Hamas established a presence in the urban area and developed the underground infrastructure beneath it," noted Eisen. According to her, in situations like this, the attacking forces must "establish specific advantages" in order to achieve success. "Unfortunately, that was not the case yesterday," she remarked.
Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment on northern Gaza, as battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas continue, in a picture taken in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 11, 2023. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)
The Biden administration has stated that it will not impose any conditions on military aid to Israel, despite pressure from lawmakers. The IDF has confirmed that the Golani Brigade, an infantry unit, was involved in the incident in the Shejaiya neighborhood in central eastern Gaza on Tuesday.
The IDF reported on Wednesday that Hamas fighters attacked soldiers by throwing explosives and shooting at them from within a residential building that also housed underground terror infrastructure.
According to retired IDF General Israel Ziv, the incident occurred in the densely populated Shejaiya neighborhood, known for being used by Hamas terrorists to conceal rocket launchers and entrance pits to underground tunnels, which are guarded by booby traps.
Ziv explained that battling and eliminating the terrorist presence in the area involves extreme risk and demands a high level of courage and determination. He noted that the incident resulted in high casualties because multiple infantry teams rushed in to respond after the first team encountered Hamas fighters and booby traps.
The world does not get it
While the overwhelming majority of Israelis still support the Gaza operation, Ziv said there are some who are beginning to question the way the war is fought.
"He said incidents like this are prompting calls to use more remote measures, such as air forces, rather than sending troops to fight face-to-face in lethal urban areas," he said.
Ziv and Eisin both emphasized that ground fighting would help minimize civilian casualties compared to aerial bombardment.
Eisin claimed that the casualties in the IDF yesterday could have been avoided if an airplane had been used. However, she also acknowledged the dilemma of using airplanes to target buildings, especially when there is uncertainty about the presence of civilians on different floors.
The significant civilian casualties in Gaza have severely strained international backing for Israel, leading even some of its strongest supporters to demand a humanitarian ceasefire.
Eisin noted a growing disparity between the public opinion within Israel and the perspectives of those beyond its borders.
She expressed strong concern that the world fails to grasp the severity of the situation, emphasizing that as long as Hamas maintains its military capabilities, living in the region remains an existential threat. CNN's Amir Tal provided additional reporting.
