Bomb blast under
tank kills four
soldiers in Gaza
attack
Four Israel Defense
Forces soldiers were
killed yesterday
morning when their
tank drove over a
100-kilo explosive
device in the
northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas's military wing,
Iz a Din al-Kassam,
claimed
responsibility for
the attack, saying it
had been a response
to the deaths of two
Hamas activists
killed near Beit
Lahia in a clash with
IDF troops earlier
this month.
The incident occured
at 8:21 A.M., about
one kilometer
southeast of the
Dugit settlement, and
some 300 meters south
of the perimeter
fence marking the
edge of the area
under permanent
Israeli control.
As part of the
lessons learned in
the wake of three
previous incidents in
the Strip in which
three Merkava tanks
were attacked,
resulting in the
death of seven
soldiers, yesterday's
operation was being
carried out with two
vehicles - an armored
bulldozer, followed,
at a distance of some
50 meters, by the
tank. It appears that
the bulldozer passed
over the same spot,
but failed to
detonate the
explosive device. A
few seconds later,
the tank set off the
bomb.
Word of the
casualties was held
back for hours until
the families of the
soldiers could be
notified.
At a press conference
yesterday evening,
GOC Central Command
Major General Doron
Almog said the tank,
a Magach 7, had been
traveling south in
the area when "it ran
over an explosive
device weighing about
100 kilograms." He
said the blast had
caused the ammunition
inside the tank to
explode, killing the
vehicle's entire
crew.
"We know that Hamas
is behind the
incident," Almog
said. "We know that
Hamas planted the
bomb in the area, and
we also know who from
Hamas was involved in
this operation.
Military sources said
that the IDF was
expected to mount a
response in the
Strip. In addition to
targeting those
directly responsible,
the sources said, the
IDF was expected to
take widespread
action against the
terror organizations
in general.
IDF tank activity
south of the
perimeter fence has
been increased
recently in an effort,
inter alia, to
disrupt the firing of
Qassam rockets from
the nearby Beit
Hanoun area.
The blast yesterday
led to a series of
explosions inside the
tank, apparently
killing the vehicle's
crew immediately. The
subsequent blaze kept
rescue forces at bay
for a relatively long
time.
The initial IDF
inquiry shows that
the device weighed
some 100 kilograms (the
Hamas statement put
the bomb at 25
kilograms only) and
was comprised of
military-grade
explosives, perhaps
mixed with improvised
materials. The device
was detonated by
means of a pressure
fuse and not from
afar.
The tank was not
fitted with a
protective plate on
its underbelly, which
would not have helped
against a device of
that size, military
sources said.
At his press
conference, Almog
said that the device
may have been laid in
the area some time
ago. Based on the
initial inquiry, he
added, the force had
operated properly,
and the tank had been
moving along the path
cleared by the
bulldozer.
Military sources
said, however, that
the inquiry had
raised questions
regarding the
planning of the
operation, noting
that the IDF had not
operated in the area
for several weeks.
High-ranking officers
said that better use
of scouts and
infantry forces could
have prevented the
disaster, adding that
the entire operation
should have been
reconsidered in light
of the muddy
conditions.
It was still too
early to tell why the
tank and not the
bulldozer had set off
the explosion, Almog
said at his press
conference, noting
that the reason may
be linked to the
angle at which the
pressure fuse had
been laid, but adding:
"At this stage, it's
all conjecture."
