A deadly attack has killed 21
Israeli soldiers in
Gaza, the country's military has said, a major setback that could add to mounting calls for a cease-fire.
The soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on Monday when a terrorist fighter fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby, according to Israeli media reports overnight.
The blast triggered land mines, causing the buildings to collapse on the soldiers, killing 21 - the largest single loss of life for the Israeli military since the war began.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said it was a 'difficult and painful morning,' but that Israel was committed to pressing ahead.
'This war will determine the future of Israel for decades to come, and the fall of soldiers is a requirement to achieve the goals of the war,' he wrote on X.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters the IDF was 'investigating the details of the event and the reasons for the explosion.'
'We worked to find the victims until the last hours,' Hagari added, indicating the difficulty in extracting bodies buried under the rubble. 'Our reservists sacrificed what was dearest to them, so that we could all live here in complete safety.'
The soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on Monday. The incident is the largest single loss of life for the military since the war began.
www.dailymail.co.uk
It's been posted before but here are new networks carrying it.
