Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in a blast in the southern Gaza Strip, the military says, as its forces continue to push into the city of Rafah, with strikes in several areas of Gaza killing at least 19 Palestinians, residents and medics say.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli soldiers were in an armoured carrier that detonated on Saturday while carrying combat engineering materials, apparently in contravention of standard practice.
It was the IDF's largest loss of life in a single incident in months, and it could complicate the political situation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing protests and calls for a ceasefire deal.
The IDF said the early morning incident in the Tel al-Sultan area in the west of Rafah was being investigated to determine what caused the explosion.
Earlier, the armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas said the vehicle had been trapped in a prepared minefield that set off the explosion.
Israeli tanks advanced in Tel al-Sultan and shells landed in the coastal area, where thousands of Palestinians, many of them displaced several times already, have sought refuge.
At least 15 people were killed by Israeli air strikes on two houses in Gaza City suburbs, according to residents. Four others were killed in separate attacks in the south, Palestinian medics said.
Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, an agreement to halt the fighting still appears distant more than eight months since the war began.
Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an agreement to bring hostages still held by Hamas home.
It was the latest in what are now weekly protests held by hostages' families and supporters.
In a video statement issued late on Saturday, Mr Netanyahu said there was no alternative but to stick to the goals of the war to defeat Hamas and bring the hostages back.
The IDF said on Saturday its forces in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, close to the border with Egypt, had captured large quantities of weapons, both above ground and concealed in the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.
It said militants had on Friday fired five rockets from the humanitarian area in central Gaza, two of which fell in open areas in Israel and three fell short in Gaza.
"This is a further example of the cynical exploitation of humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population as human shields by terror organisations in the Gaza Strip for their terrorist attacks," the IDF said.
Although surveys show solid support among the Israeli public for continuing the war against Hamas, the protests underscore the divisions in Israeli society that have reopened following a period of unity at the start of the war.
The Islamic Jihad armed wing, Al-Quds Brigades, said on Saturday Israel could only reclaim the hostages in Gaza if it ended the war and pulled out forces from the enclave.
Islamic Jihad is a smaller ally of Hamas, which led a rampage in southern Israel on October 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 100 hostages are believed to remain captive in Gaza, although at least 40 have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.
Since a week-long truce in November, repeated attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas insisting on a permanent end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu refuses to end the war before Hamas is eradicated.
At least 37,296 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign against Hamas, according to the Gaza health ministry.
ABC/wires
