Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded—two of them critically—in an attack in northern Gaza, the Israeli military reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said at least 18 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the territory.
The violence unfolded as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at advancing a potential ceasefire agreement to pause the fighting. While no immediate breakthroughs were announced, both sides indicated signs of progress.
According to a senior Israeli security official, militants detonated explosive devices against the soldiers during an operation in Beit Hanoun, a northern Gaza area that has seen repeated clashes since the war began. Israeli forces were also fired upon while evacuating the wounded. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
With this latest incident, the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the offensive against Hamas began in October 2023 has risen to 888.
On the Palestinian side, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, described the Beit Hanoun attack as a “new blow” to what he called a “weak” Israeli army, and warned that “the most reckless decision Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip.”
The soldiers’ deaths could increase domestic pressure on the Israeli government to secure a ceasefire. Polls in Israel show strong public support for ending the war.
Meanwhile, the Israeli air campaign continued on Tuesday. Medical sources at Nasser Hospital reported that one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, killing at least four. Another airstrike in the same city killed a family of four—a mother, father, and their two children. In central Gaza, a strike in Nuseirat killed 10 and wounded more than 70, according to Awda Hospital.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incidents but maintains that Hamas is responsible for civilian casualties due to its operations in densely populated areas.
The fighting has pushed Gaza’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after nearby strikes, leaving thousands without immediate access to medical care or child vaccinations.
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes weeks after a short but intense conflict between Israel and Iran and could bring renewed urgency to ceasefire efforts. White House officials are urging both sides to finalize a deal that would implement a 60-day truce, allow massive humanitarian aid into Gaza, and secure the release of at least some of the 50 remaining hostages—about 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
A senior Israeli official, also speaking anonymously, said 80 to 90 percent of the agreement’s terms have been resolved and a final deal could be just days away. However, a key sticking point remains: whether the ceasefire would mark the end of the war. Hamas has said it is willing to release all hostages in exchange for a complete end to the conflict and full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, however, insists the war will end only when Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile—terms the group has rejected.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Most of the hostages have since been freed during earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign that, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians—over half of them women and children.
