Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers died, and two were wounded, after a roadside bomb exploded in the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip during an operation on Monday, media reports said on Tuesday.

The slain soldiers were named as Staff Sgt. Lior Steinberg, 20, a combat medic, from Petah Tikva; Staff Sgt. Ofek Barhana, 20, a combat medic, from Yavne; and Staff Sgt. Omer Van Gelder, 22, a squad commander, from Maale Adumim, reported The Times of Israel.

The soldiers belonged to the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion.

They were operating as part of a platoon under the 9th Armored Battalion when the explosion occurred in Jabalia.

According to an initial IDF probe, the five troops were in a Humvee in Jabalia, escorting an army fire engine that had entered Gaza to extinguish an armored personnel carrier that caught fire due to a technical issue, the newspaper reported.

Jabalia Bomb Attack

The convoy was hit by the bomb when it was moving out from Jabalia.

Along the same route, the IDF later discovered some 20 more roadside bombs that had been rigged for detonation, the newspaper reported.

It is still not clear why the other bombs did not explode.

The IDF carried out several strikes in the area to carry out the evacuation.

The military is currently investigating the matter.

Benjamin Netanyahu Condoles Attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “In the name of all Israeli citizens, my wife and I send condolences from the depths of our hearts to the families of our fighters."

“Our hearts go out to the families in this most terrible moment. We will forever cherish the heroism of our fighters, Lior, Ofek and Omer," he said.

(With inputs from IBNS)