(The Hill) -- Israel said 21 soldiers were killed near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in the deadliest single loss for the military since the war started in early October.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said fighters with the Palestinian militant group Hamas fired an RPG missile at Israeli soldiers at around 4 p.m. local time Monday, while they were working to remove infrastructure that "posed a threat to the security of Israeli communities."
"There was an explosion which resulted in the collapse of 2 two-story structures while many troops were either inside or nearby," the IDF wrote on X. "Following the explosion, commanders operating in the field, along with rescue teams that arrived at the scene, have been executing a very complex operation to evacuate the casualties and locate the injured."
Israel said additional explosions following the RPG blast were likely caused by explosive devices that had been set up in the area by IDF soldiers.
Hamas said in statements on pro-Iranian Telegram channels that its fighters had engaged with Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza strip near Khan Younis and also shared the IDF account of the attack.
The attack underscores that despite heavy Israeli military pressure across Gaza for more than 100 days, Hamas remains intact and able to fight back.
While Monday's death toll is the largest in one single incident, Israel has lost 188 soldiers since the ground operation in Gaza began in late October, according to a Jan. 14 update.
Another 425 soldiers are currently hospitalized, with 41 in severe condition.
"This war has a very painful and heavy price," IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday. "The devoted reservists who rallied to the flag sacrificed everything for the security of Israel so that we all can live here securely."
More than 25,000 people have died in the region since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry — which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, though it claims most of the dead are women and children.
Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza but is now focusing on securing the southern coastal strip and the city of Khan Younis as forces seek the complete military defeat of Hamas and to rescue some 130 hostages remaining in the territory.