Three Soldiers Killed in Jabaliya: Here's the Likely Reason
The IDF believes that this cause led to the deaths of three soldiers in combat in Jabaliya.
While originally believed to be due to anti-tank fire, the death of three IDF soldiers in Jabaliya is due to an accidental explosion inside the tank, an "operational accident," according to Army Radio reporter Doron Kadosh.
Per the report, "three fighters from the 401st Brigade were killed inside their tank during the brigade's attack in the village of Jabaliya in the northern Strip. The explosion occurred today around 12:00 PM. The brigade's mission operating in Jabaliya village is to defeat Hamas's local battalion and destroy terrorist infrastructure above and below ground in the area.
"At this stage, the IDF does not know with certainty what caused the explosion in the tank that led to the death of the three fighters. All possibilities are still being examined - both the possibility that it was enemy fire (anti-tank fire on the tank), and that it was a malfunction and operational accident.
"The initial assessment in the IDF was that it was anti-tank fire, but as of this evening, the IDF estimates - with high probability that it was an operational accident - and that one of the tank's shells exploded inside the tank. At this stage it is still unknown what caused the shell to explode in the tank, but it is estimated that as a result of this the fighters were killed. The IDF continues to investigate the circumstances of the explosion."