21 Israeli Soldiers Killed After RPG Attack In Gaza

Twenty-one Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday in what would make the deadliest single attack on Israeli Defense Forces since the unprecedented Hamas attack that triggered the war.

The incident happened in the southern Gaza Strip, as reported by the Israeli Defense Force, who announced that its soldiers had been “removing structures and terrorist infrastructure” when a Palestinian terrorist fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank covering the soldiers. Two soldiers were killed in the tank.

The worse would happen when another explosion caused the two two-story buildings soldiers had been working in to collapse with the soldiers inside.

The soldiers dead range from age 22 to age 40, with a good chunk of them being under the age of 30.

In reaction to the tragic incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deaths stood for “one of the most difficult days since the outbreak of the war.”

“I mourn for our fallen heroic soldiers. I hug the families in their time of need and we all pray for the peace of our wounded,” he said, revealing that the IDF is looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The prime minister has also vowed to ensure Israel achieves “absolute victory” in the war. In a post to X, he wrote, “In the name of our heroes, and for our own lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory,

Israeli PM #BenjaminNetanyahu mourns loss of 21 soldiers in #Gaza, says army will fight on.#Israel #Netanyahuhttps://t.co/MWHx2eGzQy

— Business Standard (@bsindia) January 23, 2024

The attack put a wrench in calls for a cease-fire to make way for the release of more captives, as a senior Egyptian official claimed that Israel has proposed a two-month cease-fire in which the remaining hostages held by Hamas would be released. Israel would reportedly release more Palestinian prisoners and allow top Hamas leaders in Gaza to leave the embattled zone for other countries.

The last cease-fire in November saw the release of over 100 of the 250 hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. In exchange, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Per Fox News, Israel’s latest proposal for another ceasefire was rejected by Hamas, who has insisted that no Israeli hostages would be freed until the IDF withdraws its troops from Gaza and ends its offensive.