Preliminary Investigation Finds Hamas Tracked Troop Movements, Booby-Trapped Access Routes

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A preliminary IDF investigation of the tragic incident in which four Netzach Yehuda soldiers and one northern brigade reservist were killed on Monday revealed that troops  were advancing on foot through a combat zone near Israeli tanks and engineering vehicles when a series of four to five explosive devices detonated in close succession.

The explosives had likely been planted in the two days leading up to the incident, after Israeli forces launched a renewed ground assault in the Beit Hanoun region on Saturday night. As rescue teams moved in to evacuate the wounded, they came under heavy fire in what the IDF described as a well-prepared ambush by Hamas, which had studied troop movements and booby-trapped key access points throughout the preceding week.

This was the battalion’s deadliest incident since the war began. Prior to Monday, four of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza, including three in a roadside bombing in May. The deaths bring the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the war to 888, with 446 of them during the ground campaign in Gaza. Thirty-nine have been killed since the last hostage deal.

The blast follows another deadly incident two weeks ago in Khan Younis, where seven troops, including a combat engineering officer, were killed in a bombing of an armored vehicle.

The attack triggered an outpouring of grief across the country. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion mourned the three fallen soldiers from the city, saying, “Children who grew up in our streets became brave warriors—and did not return. The city embraces their families and will never forget them.”

Noam Musgadian’s brother Roi posted a message online, describing his younger sibling as “a righteous and holy soul” who always wore a smile and took on responsibility beyond his years. “Noam wasn’t just my little brother—he was my big brother in spirit,” he wrote. “He cared for us all.” One of the wounded, Yedidya Buskowitz, said in a message from his hospital bed that the evacuation took place under heavy fire. “My friends were killed. I was hit by shrapnel. We will not break. Netzah Yehuda is a battalion of heroes.”

In Haifa, Mayor Yona Yahav paid tribute to Binyamin Asulin, calling him “a young man full of dreams who paused his life to defend his country.” In Beit Shemesh, Mayor Shmuel Greenberg described Moshe Noll as “a model of courage and devotion,” and said the entire city was mourning with his family.

The Netzah Yehuda Association, which supports charedi soldiers and veterans, said the battalion had only recently begun this latest deployment in Gaza. “They are among the most experienced ground forces in northern Gaza,” the group said in a statement. “Alongside many operational successes, the unit has also paid a heavy price.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking from Washington, said, “This is a difficult morning. The people of Israel bow their heads and grieve for our fallen heroes, who gave their lives in the struggle to defeat Hamas and bring our hostages home.” Defense Minister Israel Katz added that the five soldiers “fought bravely and sacrificed everything to protect Israeli citizens and secure the return of our brothers and sisters.”