The Israeli military says its forces encircled the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Palestinian territory’s second-largest city. The news came hours after Israel’s army announced Tuesday that 21 of its soldiers were killed while fighting in the war against Hamas. The combat casualties represented the deadliest attack on Israeli troops since the country’s ground offensive in Gaza started in late October. The military said a rocket-propelled grenade fired at a tank set off a secondary explosion that brought two buildings down on the soldiers. Khan Younis has seen heavy fighting in recent days, with dozens of Palestinians killed and wounded. Israeli officials said top Hamas leaders may be hiding in tunnels below the city. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with trying to crush the militant group as criticism grows over his government’s handling of the war. The Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel in which militants from the enclave killed around 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
Here’s the latest:
Quick Read
- Israeli Forces Encircle Khan Younis: Israeli military surrounds the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
- Deadliest Attack on Israeli Soldiers: 21 Israeli soldiers killed in the worst attack since the ground offensive began in Gaza.
- Netanyahu’s Reaction and Commitment: Prime Minister Netanyahu mourns the soldiers and vows to continue fighting for “absolute victory.”
- Heavy Casualties in Khan Younis: Dozens of Palestinian casualties reported amid intense fighting in the city.
- Hamas Leaders in Khan Younis: Israeli claims of Hamas leaders hiding in city tunnels, including Yehya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader in Gaza.
- Death Toll in Gaza: Over 25,000 Palestinians killed since the start of the war.
- Hezbollah Strikes Israeli Air Base: Missiles launched at an Israeli air base in response to Israeli actions in Lebanon and Syria.
- New Zealand Joins Maritime Security in Red Sea: Announcement to protect ships from Houthi attacks in the Middle East.
The Associated Press has the story:
Israeli troops encircle Gaza’s 2nd-largest City, dozens of Palestinians killed
Newslooks- JERUSALEM — (AP)
The Israeli military says its forces have encircled the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The territory’s second-largest city has seen heavy fighting in recent days, with dozens of Palestinians killed and wounded.
Israeli officials have said top Hamas leaders may be hiding in tunnels in the city.
The military said its forces have killed dozens of militants in Khan Younis in recent days and has encircled the city. It did not provide evidence, and it was not possible to independently confirm details about the fighting there.
Khan Younis is the hometown of Yehya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader in Gaza, whose whereabouts are unknown. The military announced the encirclement in a statement on Tuesday.
NETANYAHU MOURNS LOSS OF 21 SOLDIERS
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mourned the loss of 21 soldiers in the deadliest single attack in Gaza and says the army will fight on until “absolute victory.”
In a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netanyahu said Monday was “one of the hardest days since the outbreak of the war.”
He said the army will launch an investigation into the attack, in which a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank, setting off a secondary explosion that brought two buildings down on the soldiers.
It was the deadliest single attack on Israeli forces in Gaza since the ground operation began.
In the posting on Tuesday, Netanyahu wrote: “In the name of our heroes, and for our own lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory.”
Israel’s army says a total of 21 soldiers were killed in an attack in central Gaza, making it the largest single loss of life for the military since the war began.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, made the announcement Tuesday, updating an earlier toll. He said the soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings on Monday when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby, setting off the explosion prematurely. The buildings collapsed on the soldiers.
The heavy death toll could add new momentum to calls for Israel to pause the offensive or even halt it altogether. Large numbers of Israeli casualties have put pressure on Israel’s government to halt past military operations.
HEZBOLLAH LAUNCHES MISSILES AT ISRAELI AIR BASE
BEIRUT — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched missiles at a significant Israeli air base on Mount Meron for the second time in a month.
The group said in a statement that Tuesday’s barrage was in response to “recent assassinations in Lebanon and Syria, and the repeated attacks on civilians and homes” in southern Lebanon.
It was not immediately clear if the missiles caused any damage. Israel’s Channel 12, citing an Israeli military official, reported 12 missiles were launched toward Mount Meron, of which four were shot down and six landed in open areas. The station says there was was “no impact” on the functioning of the base in northern Israel.
Hezbollah previously struck the air base in retaliation for a presumed Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Jan. 2 that killed senior Hamas official Saleh Arouri.
After more than three months of near-daily clashes between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, Israel in recent weeks appears to have moved to a strategy of targeted killings of figures from Hezbollah and allied groups in Lebanon and Syria.
In some cases, civilians have been killed along with the apparent intended targets. An Israeli airstrike hit two vehicles near a Lebanese army checkpoint in south Lebanon on Sunday, killing a Hezbollah member in one car and a civilian woman in the other.
NEW ZEALAND WILL SEND A TEAM TO ASSIST IN THE RED SEA
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand announced Tuesday it was sending a six-member team to join an international maritime security coalition in the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the country’s defense personnel will contribute to protecting ships in the Middle East from operational headquarters in the region and elsewhere.
“Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilizing,” Luxon said in a written statement Tuesday.
The deployment is mandated to conclude no later than July 31.
Currently:
— Twenty-one Israeli soldiers are killed in the deadliest single attack on the army since the war began.
— Families of Israeli hostages storm Knesset, demanding a deal for their release.
— The European Union pushes for Palestinian statehood, rejecting Israeli leader’s insistence that it’s off the table.
— U.S. and British militaries launch a new round of joint strikes against multiple Houthi sites in Yemen.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
