Israel’s army said 24 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza in the deadliest day for its forces since the start of its war with Hamas.
Twenty one reservists were killed in an attack while preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on Monday.
A militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, said.
The blast triggered the explosives, causing both two-story buildings to collapse on the soldiers inside.
Three other soldiers were killed in a separate attack in southern Gaza.
The heavy death toll could add new momentum to calls for Israel to pause the offensive or even halt it altogether. Large numbers of Israeli casualties have put pressure on Israel's government to halt past military operations.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it had been an “unbearably difficult morning” learning about the extent of the death toll.
“On behalf of the entire nation, I console the families and pray for the healing of the wounded,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Israel crushes the ruling Hamas militant group and wins the freedom of over 100 hostages held captive in Gaza. Israelis are increasingly divided on the question of whether it is possible to do either.
Families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called for Israel to reach a ceasefire deal, saying that time is running out to bring the hostages home alive.
A senior Egyptian official said Israel had proposed a two-month ceasefire in which the hostages would be freed in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and top Hamas leaders in Gaza would be allowed to relocate to other countries.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas rejected the proposal and was insisting that no more hostages would be released until Israel ended its offensive and withdrew from Gaza. Israel's government declined to comment on the talks.
Israel launched the offensive after Hamas's October 7 cross border attack that killed over 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. More than 100 were released in November in exchange for a weeklong cease-fire and the release of 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The offensive has caused widespread destruction, displaced an estimated 85% of Gaza's population and left over 25,000 Palestinians dead, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory.
The United Nations and international aid agencies say the fighting has unleashed a humanitarian disaster, with a quarter of the area's 2.3 million people facing starvation.
