Twenty-four Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza, the military said on Tuesday, the biggest death toll in a single day since the war began in October, amid what Palestinians said was the most intense bombardment of southern Gaza in the conflict.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters that 21 soldiers were killed in an explosion.
He said the Hamas fighters had fired rocket-propelled grenades at a tank, and at the same time an explosion occurred in two buildings where Israeli forces had planted explosives to destroy them. The buildings collapsed onto the troops.
“We are still studying and investigating the details of the event and the reasons for the explosion,” he said. Earlier, the military had said three soldiers were killed in a separate attack in southern Gaza.
The assault came as Israeli forces pushed deep into western Khan Younis in Gaza, with an air, sea and land bombardment that included storming a hospital and arresting medical staff, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qidra told Reuters.
There was no word from Israel on the situation at the hospital, and the military spokesperson’s office had no comment.
