War on Gaza: 21 Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas attack

Israel's military said on Tuesday that at least 21 of its soldiers were killed in a single attack in the Gaza Strip, the deadliest day for Israeli troops since 7 October.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the soldiers were killed in central Gaza on Monday when a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Hamas hit a tank near two buildings the soldiers were in.

The attack came as the Israeli military said it had killed “dozens” of Palestinian fighters over the past 24 hours, saying its forces had encircled Khan Younis. They added that soldiers engaged in close-quarter combat and direct air strikes. 

Hagari added that the Israeli soldiers were probably killed as a result of mines that Israeli forces had placed there to demolish the buildings.

This is the highest daily death toll for Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground offensive in late October, and comes as pressure mounds on the government about the length, aim and cost of the war.