Palestinian militants carried out a deadly attack on Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of 21 Israeli soldiers, the deadliest single attack since the start of the war, Associated Press reports.
Israeli reservists were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings near the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza. During this process, a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at a tank nearby, causing the explosives to detonate and resulting in the collapse of the two-story buildings on the soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers but pledged to press on for “absolute victory.” Following the attack, the Israeli military announced the encirclement of the southern city of Khan Younis.
Cease-fire talks are reportedly underway, with Egypt proposing a two-month cease-fire, including the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and the relocation of top Hamas leaders.
