Gaza: Khan Younis ambush sparks outrage in Israel over military failures

The killing of seven Israeli soldiers from Combat Engineering Battalion 605 in a Hamas ambush in Khan Younis on Tuesday has triggered widespread public anger and raised serious questions about the Israeli army's readiness nearly two years into its war on Gaza.

The incident, in which two armoured personnel carriers were targeted by the al-Qassam Brigades, has exposed major vulnerabilities in the military's operations, with criticism mounting over troop exhaustion, outdated vehicles, and leadership failures.

According to the Hebrew Yedioth Ahronoth, the ambush coincided with Israel's ramped-up operations in Khan Younis following a ceasefire with Iran.

The army and political leadership are now weighing whether to launch a broader ground campaign in Gaza or pursue a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal with Hamas that could lead to a prolonged truce and troop withdrawal.

Resources stretched thin

Footage released by Hamas of the ambush showed a Palestinian fighter approaching an Israeli APC undetected due to a shortage of drones, resources stretched thin by the war with Iran.

Military investigators are now assessing whether the vehicle had 360-degree surveillance systems, which some reserve units had to self-fund. Battalion 605, however, is a regular unit and subject to strict regulations preventing the use of non-standard equipment, even if it improves safety.

The father of one of the slain soldiers told Israeli broadcaster Kan that the unit was using ageing Puma vehicles with no perimeter cameras and faulty rear hatches. He said reservists had refused to use the vehicles, leaving only regular troops in them.

Families of the dead also sent a letter to the battalion's commander accusing the army of gross negligence, calling the deaths avoidable and demanding the immediate replacement of outdated APCs with vehicles suited for modern guerrilla warfare.

Maariv called the ambush a "strategic failure" which had revealed systemic breakdowns across political and military levels, pointing to exhaustion within the army and a lack of clear goals in Gaza.

The paper warned that while Israel may be celebrating perceived gains against Iran, it was "stuck deep in the Gaza quagmire".

After 629 days of war, the army remains overextended across multiple fronts, with divisions 143 and 162 having operated in Gaza continuously since 7 October 2023.

Fatigue has set in among Israeli forces, leading to operational lapses, waning discipline, and both physical and psychological strain. Equipment wear has also taken a toll, with depleted armour, drones, and personnel carriers.

According to Maariv, the biggest problem is strategic confusion.

"The political leadership doesn’t know what it wants from Gaza," a report by the outlet said. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yisrael Katz focus on political survival, "they ignore the military’s condition and the scale of exhaustion."

It came as three Israeli ministers on Wednesday publicly admitted that the ongoing military operations in Gaza had failed to achieve practical results.

According to Channel 12, the ministers, who were not named by the network, criticised the current approach, saying: "What we have done in Gaza may have had theoretical potential, but in practice, it has not led to results."

They urged a rethink, either through a shift in military strategy or by pursuing a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal to bring the war to an end. 

Channel 12 also reported that indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled. While American mediators are described as "enthusiastic", Israeli officials involved in the talks say progress has been limited.