Israel won't tolerate Hamas violations of ceasefire, PM Netanyahu says after 4 soldiers are wounded in Gaza ambush

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would not tolerate attacks on its soldiers in Gaza, after an ambush by Hamas terrorists wounded four Israeli soldiers, one of them severely, on Wednesday afternoon.

“The Hamas terrorist organization continues to violate the ceasefire agreement and carry out acts of terrorism against our forces. Our policy is clear: Israel will not tolerate the harming of IDF soldiers and will respond accordingly,” Netanyahu said, adding wishes for a speedy recovery to the soldiers.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas terrorists emerged from an “underground terrorist infrastructure” and attacked Israeli troops in eastern Rafah.

Army Radio reported that soldiers from the Golani Reconnaissance Unit spotted a suspect covered with a blanket entering a building. The soldiers scanned the structure using remote technology but couldn’t detect anything.

Meanwhile, an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was sent to reinforce the unit. After it arrived, two terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft and fired an RPG at the vehicle, wounding the four soldiers.

The others opened fire, killing one terrorist and wounding the other. The wounded man managed to escape back into the tunnel, and troops are now searching for him as well as the third, blanket-covered suspect.

“During the encounter, an IDF combat soldier was severely injured, two additional combat soldiers and a non-commissioned officer were moderately injured.  The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment, and their families have been notified,” the military stated.

In the evening, Netanyahu convened an security urgent meeting to discuss possible responses to the serious ceasefire violation, Channel 12 reported.

Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet director David Zini were said to participate in the meeting, among other high-ranking security officials. Zamir reportedly urged a serious response to the attack.

“This is a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12, “we are in full coordination with the Americans on the topic, and we have emphasized the severity of the matter.”

Earlier in the day, the IDF’s COGAT unit had announced that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza would be reopened in the coming days, “exclusively for the exit of residents.”

“The departure of residents through the Rafah crossing will be permitted with coordination from Egypt, after security approval by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission, similar to the mechanism that was implemented in January 2025,” COGAT said.