21 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, in highest daily death toll

Some 21 Israeli soldiers were killed over a 24 hour period yesterday, the army said earlier today, in what has been described as the largest single loss of life for Israeli occupation forces since 7 October.

Making the announcement, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, said the soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings yesterday when a Palestinian resistance fighter fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby, setting off the explosion prematurely. The buildings collapsed on the soldiers.

The army had previously announced that ten soldiers had been killed, however it later revised the death toll.

Reacting to the news, Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, said it had been an “unbearably difficult morning”.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he said: “The intense battles are taking place in an extremely challenging space, and we are strengthening the soldiers of the IDF and the security forces who are working with endless determination to realize the goals of the fighting.”

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