GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – The Israeli army reported the loss of 21 soldiers in central Gaza, marking the deadliest day for its forces since the war began.
According to the military, the soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings on Monday when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a nearby tank, setting off the explosion prematurely and causing the buildings to collapse on them.
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 news agency.
The 24 fatalities on that day alone made it the deadliest for the Israeli Defense Force in Gaza since the war started back in October.
The United States called on Israel to protect innocent Palestinians and medical staff. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that while Israel had the right to defend itself, it was expected to do so in accordance with international law and protect innocent people in hospitals, medical staff, and patients as much as possible.
Israel is under growing pressure over its war against Hamas inside Gaza, as concerns arise due to the large number of civilian deaths. It has repeatedly claimed that Hamas is using hospitals in Gaza as military positions, while Hamas and medical staff have denied this.
The Israeli military has recently intensified strikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, believing it to be where top Hamas commanders are holed up. The Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza have reported at least 25,295 people killed since the conflict began.
The Israeli army is still studying and investigating the details of the event and the reasons for the explosion, and the breaking news story is being updated with more details to be published shortly.