TWO bloody clashes have killed 24 Israeli soldiers — the nation’s worst losses in a single day of its Gaza offensive.
Hamas fighters killed 21 reservists in one attack using rocket propelled grenades, while three more died in another firefight.
Army units were planting explosive mines to demolish a building when they came under fire on Monday.
The first RPG strike hit a tank, killing two soldiers.
A second detonated the mines in the building, collapsing it and killing 19 inside.
Teams worked through the night recovering bodies and rescuing seven injured — including two who were seriously hurt.
The building was just 600 metres inside Gaza. Israel had begun clearing land to create a future buffer zone from southern Israel.
The area is close to Kissufim kibbutz on the Israeli side of the border, which Hamas terrorists targeted in the October 7 massacres.
In a separate loss of life on the same day, three Israel Defence Forces officers were killed in a firefight with Hamas in .
Three other soldiers were seriously wounded.
Israeli forces have encircled the south Gazan city as the net closes on the suspected October 7 terror master, Yahya Sinwar.
But more heavy losses are expected as fighting intensifies towards a final showdown with the terror group’s top fighters.
The first funerals for those killed were held at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
Two victims were named as Raphael Elias Moshioff and Yoav Levy.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claimed 195 Palestinians were killed on the same day the 24 IDF soldiers died.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “In the name of our heroes — and for our own lives — we will not stop fighting until absolute victory.”
It came amid claims Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal for a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of all hostages.
Palestinian captives would have also been released and Hamas leaders allowed to leave, an Egyptian official said.
