21 Israeli soldiers killed in the deadliest attack since Gaza war
Jerusalem: Twenty-one soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip in the deadliest attack on Israel’s forces since the October 7 Hamas raid that triggered the war, the military said Tuesday, a major setback that could add to mounting calls for a cease-fire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers but vowed to press ahead with the offensive until “absolute victory” over Hamas. He has also promised to return over 100 hostages held captive in Gaza. But Israelis are increasingly divided on the question of whether it’s possible to do either, and large numbers of Israeli casualties have pressured Israel’s government to halt past military operations.
A senior Egyptian official meanwhile said Israel has proposed a two-month cease-fire 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 was not authorised to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas rejected the proposal and is insisting that no more hostages will be released until Israel ends its offensive and withdraws from Gaza.
Israel’s government declined to comment on the talks. The official said Egypt and Qatar, which have brokered past agreements between Israel and Hamas, were developing a multistage proposal to try and bridge the gaps.
On Monday, Israeli reservists were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby. The blast triggered the explosives, causing both two-story buildings to collapse on the soldiers inside.
Netanyahu acknowledged it was “one of the hardest days” since the war began and said the military would launch an investigation. “In the name of our heroes, and for our own lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called for Israel to reach a cease-fire deal, saying that time is running out to bring the hostages home alive.
On Monday, dozens of hostages’ relatives stormed a parliamentary committee meeting, demanding a deal to win their loved ones’ release. Israel launched its offensive after Hamas crossed the border October 7, 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.
