New Delhi: The Israel Defense Force (IDF) On Sunday, officially acknowledged an unintentional discharge from an IDF tank that struck an Egyptian post near the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the IDF expressed regret for the incident and indicated that an investigation is currently underway, with further details pending.


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"A short while ago, an IDF tank accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian post adjacent to the border in the area of Kerem Shalom. The incident is being investigated and the details are under review," it said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), giving no further details.



Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have deployed several Merkava tanks and troops near the Gaza border in southern Israel. These deployments are in response to the situation in the region. The Israeli government has also announced its intention to launch a ground operation against Hamas in the near future.


The Merkava tanks, a series of main battle tanks used by the IDF, play a central role in the IDF's armored corps. The development of the Merkava tanks began in 1970, with the first version, the Merkava Mark 1, being officially commissioned in 1979. Over the years, four primary iterations have been introduced, with the most recent model as of 2023 being the Merkava Mark 5. The Merkava gained valuable operational experience during the 1982 Lebanon War, and its name is derived from the IDF's initial development program.