Militants kill 5 Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Israeli strikes kill 51 Palestinians
The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with President Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting. While there was no announcement of a breakthrough, there were signs of progress toward a deal.
The soldiers' deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal, as polls in Israel have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war.
A senior Israeli official said 80-90% of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media.
The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armored vehicle.
An Israeli security official said explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants.
Militants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the attack with the media.
The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said on social media that the attack was an 'additional blow' against what he described as a 'weak' army.
In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell 'in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.'
Health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Yunis killed four people, including a mother, father and their two children, officials said.
'He sleeps in the tent with his two children, Awda and Misk,' said Nisma al-Baiouk, the sister of one man killed. 'My nephew Awda has no face, his face is gone.'
Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday.
In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in Nuseirat.
Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas.
The fighting has pushed the health care system in Gaza close to collapse. On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent said the Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area. It said the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get medical care or obtain vaccinations for children.
Trump has made clear that, following last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he would like to see the Gaza war end soon.
White House officials are urging both sides to quickly seal an agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory. Netanyahu has said 20 are alive.
A sticking point has been whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do.
The initial Hamas attack in 2023 killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
Goldenberg, Khaled and Shurafa write for the Associated Press. Khaled reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip.
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