AT least 21 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the deadliest attack on the force since the war against Hamas began.
The troops were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on Monday when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a tank close by.
AFPIsraeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip. Stock pic[/caption]
The blast triggered the explosives to detonate early – leaving them buried under rubble as the building collapsed on top of them.
Emergency crews worked for hours to rescue casualties from the debris, but 21 soldiers could not be saved.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said “An RPG was fired by terrorists at a tank securing the forces, and simultaneously, an explosion occurred at two two-story buildings.
“The buildings collapsed due to this explosion, while most of the forces were inside and near them.”
A further three soldiers were also killed in a separate attack in southern Gaza, the military confirmed.
The 24 deaths mark the largest single loss of life for the military since the battle against Hamas began three months ago.
More than 200 IDF soldiers have been killed since troops started blitzing Gaza following Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack.
It comes as large numbers of Israelis continue to put pressure on the government to halt past military operations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Israel crushes the ruling Hamas militant group and wins the freedom of more than 100 hostages still being held captive in Gaza.
But Israelis are increasingly divided on the question of whether it’s possible to do either.
On Monday, hostages’ family members disrupted a committee meeting in Israel’s parliament, yelling: “You won’t sit here while they are dying there.”