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IDF soldiers following a battle in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. (Jini)
Last update - 00:00 16/04/2008
Three Israeli soldiers killed in ambush near Gaza border
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, IDF, Hamas

Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers from the elite Givati Brigade were killed on Wednesday in an exchange of heavy gunfire with Palestinian militants next to the Gaza Strip security fence.

A preliminary IDF investigation suggests that an operational error occurred during the soldiers' raid, a senior officer in the Southern Command told Haaretz.

The officer said that the army was investigating why reinforcements were not sent to back up the Givati troops and whether the soldiers were sent on the correct path.
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The IDF said that the clashes occurred near Kibbutz Be'eri, in the western Negev, as troops entered the Strip to arrest a band of suspicious figures.

The soldiers were killed after troops spotted two Hamas militants planting a bomb near the Israeli border. Troops pursued the militants, only to fall into an ambush by another Hamas force lying in wait, Israeli defense officials said.

Three other soldiers were wounded in the clashes, two of them moderately, and were taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for treatment.

The army named the slain soldiers as Corporal Matan Ovadati, 19, of Moshav Patish, Sergeant David Papian, 21, of Tel Aviv, and Sergeant Menhash al-Banyat, 20, from a Bedouin village in the Negev.

An IDF spokeswoman said soldiers had shot several Palestinian gunmen during the fighting, though there were no reports of injuries among the militants.

The six Israeli casualties were struck in the first few minutes of the clashes. Two soliers were killed instantly, another was critically wounded and the other four sustained various levels of injuries.

Palestinian medical workers and Hamas reported that IDF troops killed four Hamas gunmen in a separate battle in Gaza near a terminal used to supply fuel to the coastal territory.

Hamas said soldiers, backed by helicopters, killed the four militants during fighting east of Gaza City, a few hundred metres from the Nahal Oz border terminal. The terminal was the site of a terrorist attack last week, in which two Israeli civilian workers were shot dead by Gaza gunmen.


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      1.   It`s immoral to go supporting Israel`s call to violence ... 09:30  |  Dutch 16/04/08
      2.   Dutch just loves immorality 10:26  |  Joe Sittizen 16/04/08
      3.   To Dutch # 1 10:34  |  dovale 16/04/08
      4.   to dutch 10:34  |  david 16/04/08
      5.   what about the two iof soliders 10:44  |  KHALILISHABIB 16/04/08
      6.   APOLOGISTS note the targets were armed Hamas militia. 10:45  |  PETER SM 16/04/08
      7.   Hamas says: 2 IFD soldiers have been killed and 6 injurred 10:48  |  Observor 16/04/08
      8.   IDF`s PRIDE TO KILL AND TO BE KILLED 10:55  |  indrajaya 16/04/08
      9.   DUTCH Now what is your problem? 10:58  |  Gil 16/04/08
      10.   the mighty idf/iaf, HUH 11:12  |  VIPER 16/04/08
      11.   #1 Dutch 12:08  |  Realist 16/04/08
      12.   Analysis 12:12  |  Gaza resident 16/04/08
      13.   SHABIB. Jerusalem Israel.They will be burried with dignity 12:23  |  PETER SM 16/04/08
      14.   what do u expect? 12:45  |  gaza 16/04/08
      15.   Start to take out Hamas leaders 13:04  |  SystemF 16/04/08
      16.   You completely miss the point 13:14  |  Ruth 16/04/08
      17.   #14 13:22  |  jeff 16/04/08
      18.   Arabs are not violating internatioal laws!! 13:23  |  Samir 16/04/08
      19.   avenge with peace....? 13:49  |  ravi 16/04/08
      20.   TO NO 12 PALESTINIAN RESIDENT. 13:50  |  DANNY. 16/04/08
      21.   t`s immoral to go supporting ignorance dear DUTCH 13:51  |  Daniel 16/04/08
      22.   Ambushed 13:51  |  jjvanka 16/04/08
      23.   Ambushed 13:54  |  jjvanka 16/04/08
      24.   Occupation 14:03  |  Palestinian 16/04/08
      25.   Unlike the IDF, Hamas men know what they are fighting for 14:05  |  Chanalau, Tova 16/04/08
      26.   #18 answer is 9/11 14:06  |  CM 16/04/08
      27.   Ambush adn Snipers 14:08  |  Jalal 16/04/08
      28.   Israel pays the price of its arrogance 14:10  |  Clickfool 16/04/08
      29.   Hamas doesn`t want the fuel to come in 14:21  |  Aphemia 16/04/08
      30.   Samir from Gaza (what planet?) 14:32  |  Nightingale 16/04/08
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      33.   Target success 14:47  |  lily 16/04/08
      34.   CFOOL price of what? Hamas attacks unarmed fuel depot attendents 14:47  |  PETER SM 16/04/08
      35.   CHANALAU.Fighting for Jihad for Islam in Palestine & 14:51  |  PETER SM 16/04/08
      36.   Hit Hamas buildings 14:54  |  arun 16/04/08
      37.   INDRAJAYA IDF no "pride to be killed" or kill 14:54  |  PETER SM 16/04/08
      38.   The enormous depreciatation 14:57  |  Human Rights 16/04/08
      39.   Samir # 18 Your Logic Stinks (part 1) 14:58  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/08
      40.   This has been planned upfront ?! 15:07  |  ffsb 16/04/08
      41.   #8: indrajaya, why does the IDF need to.... 15:14  |  Doc Holliday 16/04/08
      42.   #36 15:17  |  Jim 16/04/08
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      44.   Samir # 18 Your Logic Stinks (part 2) 15:29  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/08
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      48.   This is how it`s going to be 15:38  |  Natallie Durson 16/04/08
      49.   To gaza 15:40  |  American Christian 16/04/08
      50.   Samir # 18 Your Logic Stinks (part 3) 15:42  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/08
      51.   To Palestinian 15:48  |  American Gentile 16/04/08
      52.   Mabe it`s time to be honest? 15:52  |  Straight Talk 16/04/08
      53.   david 4 15:54  |  potobac 16/04/08
      54.   Win the war against terror. 15:55  |  Jean Van Daem 16/04/08
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      58.   #27 jalal, you are scum! 16:04  |  DR 16/04/08
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      60.   Best wishes to the wounded 16:06  |  KUTW 16/04/08
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