The Israeli military announced on Friday that two soldiers were killed and four others were seriously wounded during clashes in southern Gaza.

In a statement, the army identified the two fallen soldiers as Yishai Eliakim Urbach and Yam Fried, adding that the wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for treatment after sustaining severe injuries.

The announcement came a day after Hamas stated that its fighters were engaged in intense clashes with Israeli forces near Rafah in southern Gaza, amid ongoing hostilities in the area.

The incident is part of a wider escalation in violence in Gaza, with the region witnessing heavy airstrikes and frequent skirmishes between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed factions, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.