Seven Israeli soldiers killed during combat in Gaza, military says

Israeli media reports the seven were in the city of Khan Younis when an explosive device planted on their vehicle detonated, setting it on fire

The Israeli military said seven personnel, an officer and six soldiers, were killed in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

In a separate incident, a soldier was severely wounded also in southern Gaza, the military added in a statement on Wednesday.

Israeli media reported the seven were in the city of Khan Younis when an explosive device planted on their vehicle detonated, setting it on fire.

The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to its Hamas-run health ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than 2 million and spreading a hunger crisis.

According to the military's tallies, 19 soldiers have been killed since the beginning of June during combat in the strip.