According to a preliminary investigation by the Israel Defense Forces – The Times of Israel – all the soldiers died in the Namer Armored Combat Engineering Vehicle (CEV).
The transporter was traveling in a convoy around 5 a.m. Saturday after an overnight offensive against Hamas in the northwestern Rafah district, during which soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade killed about 50 Hamas terrorists.
The combat vehicle exploded
The combat vehicle, which was the fifth or sixth vehicle in the convoy, exploded at one point. It is not clear if it was a pre-planted bomb or if the bomb was placed directly on the carrier.
The Army is also investigating the possibility that explosives stowed on the carrier may have contributed to the blast. In general, mines and other munitions stored outside the CEV will not injure soldiers if detonated.
The Israeli army has announced that the number of soldiers killed in the war against Hamas has risen to 307.