At least 21 soldiers died Monday afternoon after two buildings with explosives fell on them in the center of the Gaza Strip, the deadliest event for Israeli troops since the start of a ground offensive in the enclave on October 27.

“As far as we know, around four o’clock in the afternoon the terrorists Shot from an RPG at a tank It was protecting the troops and at the same time there was an explosion in two two-story buildings,” Army spokesman Daniel Hagary said Tuesday.

A spokesman confirmed to Jewish media that the cause of the incident was being investigated, including whether the explosion was the result of mines laid by the troops themselves.

The incident occurred in the center of the Strip. near the border village of Kissufimwhere the army announced that troops were destroying Islamist Hamas structures to create a security perimeter that would “allow residents of Israeli border communities to return to their homes.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that “Yesterday was one of the most difficult days since the beginning of the war,” according to a statement in Hebrew, and sympathized with the pain of the families of the “heroic warriors.”

“I know that for these families “Their lives will change forever.” said the president.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog mourned online today the death of the combatants in a message of condolence in Hebrew, in which he said: “more and more names of our best children They are added to the tombstones of heroes.”

“Intense fighting is taking place in an extremely complex environment, and we are sending forces to soldiers and security forces who working with endless determination to achieve the goals of the battles,” he indicated.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured that “our hearts are with the dear families in these most difficult times,” but in a combative social media post called for the war to continue.

“This is a war that will determine the future of Israel for the coming decades: the fall of soldiers forces us to achieve the goals of the struggle,” Gallant added.

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The Israel Defense Forces have already revealed identities of 17 dead soldiers and notified the remaining family members, so the identities of the remaining four will be announced in the next few hours.

Total number of Israeli casualties rises to 219 with those who were killed yesterday since the start of the ground offensive, to which we must add some 330 soldiers killed during the brutal Hamas attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.

(according to information from EFE)