At least 21 Israeli soldiers are dead following a blast in Gaza
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday the soldiers were killed as they were attempting to demolish two buildings in central Gaza, close to the Israeli border.
Rear Admiral Hagari said an RPG was fired at a “tank securing the forces, and simultaneously, an explosion occurred at two two-storey buildings”, The Times of Israel reports.
The collapsed buildings killed the soldiers inside, he added.
Several of the soldiers were reservists.
Rear Admirial Hagari said the explosion was likely a result of mines planted by troops to demolish the buildings, but the cause was still under investigation.
Associated Press said it was the deadliest incident involving IDF forces since Israel’s three-month-old war against Hamas militants began.
