The armed wing of Hamas says that its fighters managed to lure Israeli forces from a combat engineering unit into a booby-trapped tunnel, killing some and wounding others.

The Qassam Brigades said the tunnel was located in the area of Israeli military sites east of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

It also said Palestinian fighters engaged in “fierce clashes” with Israeli forces expanding a ground invasion in al-Jafarawi, also east of Deir el-Balah, inflicting casualties who were later evacuated by a military helicopter.

The Qassam Brigades said a Merkava tank was hit with a Yassin-105 shell in the area as well.