Six Israeli soldiers were killed with a roadside bomb by Hamas terrorists in Gaza—who then proceeded to tear the corpses apart and play with the body parts as they took pictures: Six Soldiers Dead in Gaza Battle.

Six Israeli soldiers are dead after their armored personnel carrier drove over a 100-kilogram explosive planted under the road in Gaza. Hamas terrorists gleefully displayed and played with the body parts in front of cameras.

In response, an Israel Air Force missile bombed a target in Gaza this afternoon, killing one and wounding three. Details are still sketchy; see our latest-news page for updates. Prime Minister Sharon has called an urgent mini-security cabinet meeting for this evening at 8:30 PM.

This morning’s attack that killed the six soldiers occurred towards the conclusion of a heavy battle waged in spurts in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City. IDF forces entered the city on a mission to locate and blow up explosives labs, destroying at least two of them; several others of the 20 suspected labs were also located. The forces include combat helicopters, jeeps, bulldozers, and tanks, and additional forces were later brought in.

The Israeli forces remained in the area for longer than planned in a tireless effort to rescue the bodies. The families of the six have been notified, though their names have not yet been released for publication. The identification process took a long while, as the bodies were in very bad condition, and not all the body parts were found. The destroyed vehicle, which had a capacity of 12 soldiers but was carrying only six, was carrying large amounts of explosives.