Seven Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza as Palestinian death toll mounts

More than 90 Gazans killed since dawn on Tuesday, most of them seeking aid

Troops at the funeral of an Israeli staff sergeant in Elyakhin on Wednesday. He was one of seven soldiers killed in an explosion. Getty Images

Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in southern Gaza, the military said on Wednesday, as the Palestinian death toll in the enclave continued to mount.

Israeli media reported that six soldiers and a platoon commander were killed in the city of Khan Younis when an explosive device planted on their vehicle was detonated.

In a separate incident, another soldier was severely wounded, the military added.

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Six of the dead soldiers were named by the army, while the family of one withheld his identity.

Their deaths came as the Palestinian death toll from the war continued to rise, with at least 90 Gazans killed between dawn on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, according to official Palestinian media.

Fifty-six people were killed while queuing to receive aid, news agency Wafa said. It said 18 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes on Khan Younis, Rafah and Gaza city.

Israel imposed a two-month blockade on Gaza in early March that has created famine-like conditions in the enclave, according to rights groups. It lifted the blockade last month with the launch of a new aid group to distribute supplies, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

But aid sites run by the private American contractor, with US and Israeli government support, have been plagued by violence and chaos. The distribution points are in Israeli military zones, forcing civilians to navigate dangerous areas.

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Palestinians hope conflict between Iran and Israel spells end to war in Gaza

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US President Donald Trump's administration has authorised funding of another $30 million for the GHF, a US official said on Tuesday, according to news agency AFP.

Israel has been at war in Gaza with the Iran-backed group Hamas since October 2023, when the militants launched a cross-border attack on southern Israel. A direct aerial war with Iran broke out earlier this month over Tehran's nuclear programme, but reached a ceasefire on Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country “must complete the campaign against the Iranian axis” by defeating Hamas. His remarks came as some Israeli politicians call for the end of the war with Iran to be followed by a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu declared a historic win against the Iranian nuclear programme in the 12 days of Israeli and US bombing.

“We have removed two immediate existential threats to us – the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles,” he said in a video issued by his office.

But Mr Netanyahu said his government's work was unfinished in Gaza, where 50 hostages remain in captivity since Hamas's attack. About 20 are believed to be alive. Israeli army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said the "focus shifts back to Gaza" after the air campaign in Iran, in which senior military commanders we

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said it was time for Israel to “start rebuilding”, return the hostages and end the fighting.

“Complete the mission: return all the hostages, end the war in Gaza and stop once and for all the coup that threatens to make Israel weak, divided and vulnerable,” he said.

Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel's 20-month military operation in Gaza has killed 56,077 people in the strip. The October 7 attack killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and saw 251 others taken hostage. Many of the hostages have been released during ceasefires or through other agreements.

The war has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people while triggering a hunger and health crisis in the enclave.

More than 430 Israeli soldiers have died in the conflict, with 19 killed since the beginning of June, according to the military's tallies.