Israel Suffers Heavy Blow as Netanyahu Meets Trump
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At least five Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza in one of the deadliest recent attacks on Israeli forces as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House this week
Gaza authorities said at least 24 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in Israeli strikes and gunfire.
Newsweek has reached out to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for comment and the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza for comment.
Why It Matters
The deadly attack could increase Israeli pressure on Netanyahu to ensure that a ceasefire is reached at a time that the United States is pushing forward efforts for Israel and Hamas to agree.
The attack also shows that despite over 21 months of war in which Hamas forces have been heavily depleted and the territory has been devastated, Israel has still been unable to fully wrest control of the territory from the Islamist group.
An israeli army vehicle drives near the Israeli-Gaza border with a banner reading " Bring them home now" call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, Sunday,...
An israeli army vehicle drives near the Israeli-Gaza border with a banner reading " Bring them home now" call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, Sunday, July 6, 2025. More
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo
What To Know
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said five soldiers were killed in battle on Tuesday and two others were severely wounded.
A roadside bomb in Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, killed the five Israeli soldiers and reportedly wounded 14 others, according to the Times of Israel citing the Israeli military.
An initial IDF probe found that infantry soldiers on foot were hit by a roadside bomb in Beit Hanoun and came under fire while evacuating the wounded, the report added. The Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed the attack, describing it as a "well-planned ambush," in an Arabic statement.
Nearly 24 people were killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire in Rafah and Khan Younis, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Local authorities do not say how many of the dead are fighters.
Uncertainty still looms over a Gaza ceasefire, a key topic in talks between Trump and Netanyahu during his ongoing visit and meetings with senior U.S. officials.
Hamas said this week that it delivered to mediators a "positive" response to the latest U.S. proposal, to which Israel had previously agreed. "Hamas is fully prepared and serious about immediately entering a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework," the group said in a Friday statement.
But disagreements have remained over terms for the ceasefire, with Hamas seeking a path to the complete end of the conflict that could allow it to keep some hold in the territory and also wanting Israel to relinquish its control over aid distribution.
The war in Gaza started on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel and killed around 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages. Since then, Palestinian officials say the Israeli operations have killed more than 57,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according the Associated Press.
What People Are Saying
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement: "During the incident in which Staff Sergeant Meir Shimon Amar and Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech fell, three additional soldiers fell. Their families have been notified and their names have not yet been cleared for publication and will be published later."
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, said in Telegram message broadcast in Arabic: "Our fighters are wearing down the enemy from the north to the south of Gaza, causing them more losses every day. They may have recently managed to rescue their soldiers from disaster, but next time they might fail—and we could capture more of them. The most foolish decision Netanyahu could make is to keep his forces inside Gaza."
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday: "I think we're close to a deal on Gaza—we could have it this week."
What Happens Next
There is no breakthrough yet in the ceasefire that Trump is pushing for with talks set to continue this week in Qatar.
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