Military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced in a statement that three staff sergeants, namely 19-year-old Ruben Marc Mordechai Assouline, 19-year-old Ido Testa and 21-year-old Tal Shavit, were killed.
The 11 soldiers who were wounded include two soldiers from the 931st Battalion and a soldier from the Shaked Battalion who are listed as in serious condition.
Issuing a statement on Sunday, al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters bombarded gatherings of Israeli forces at the Kerem Shalom crossing and its surroundings with the 114 mm short-range Rajoom rocket system.
Following the attack, the Israeli military announced that it had closed the Karem Abu Salem crossing. The crossing was one of the key passages for aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities announced its reopening in mid-December following mounting pressure from the United States amid a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Despite its reopening, Israeli authorities have allowed only a trickle of assistance needed to address the needs inside the Palestinian territory.
