Five Israeli infantry soldiers were killed and two others seriously wounded overnight in northern Gaza during a patrol, the Israeli military reported Tuesday. Israeli media stated that militants detonated explosive devices and opened fire on reinforcements sent to evacuate the casualties, marking a significant escalation in the 21-month conflict.

Concurrently, Gaza health officials reported 18 Palestinian deaths from Israeli strikes at two locations. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, one strike hit tents sheltering displaced people, killing four, while another strike in the same area claimed a family of four, including a mother, father, and their two children. In central Gaza’s Nuseirat, Awda Hospital reported 10 deaths and 72 injuries from strikes targeting a group of people.

The violence follows a deadly June 24 incident where seven Israeli soldiers perished in a Hamas-claimed bombing of their armored vehicle in Khan Younis, one of the war’s bloodiest days for Israel. As of July 3, the Gaza Health Ministry reported over 57,645 Palestinian deaths, with 80% estimated as civilians, and 1,983 Israeli fatalities, including 860 soldiers.

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Amid the bloodshed, Israel and Hamas are reviewing a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal to pause hostilities, though previous talks collapsed in March, with over 6,000 deaths since. Hamas demands a permanent truce, while Israel seeks to dismantle the group and free 50 remaining hostages, 30 presumed dead.

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