Israel says nine soldiers killed in latest Gaza fighting

The Israeli military said on Tuesday nine more soldiers had been killed in Gaza in one of its biggest 24-hour death tolls in the war against Hamas, bringing total Israeli losses there to 187. Most of the latest fatalities were from engineering units operating against Hamas tunnels in south and central Gaza, where Israel has shifted the focus of fighting after declaring the Palestinian Islamist group dismantled in the north on Saturday.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday nine more soldiers had been killed in Gaza in one of its biggest 24-hour death tolls in the war against Hamas, bringing total Israeli losses there to 187.

Most of the latest fatalities were from engineering units operating against Hamas tunnels in south and central Gaza, where Israel has shifted the focus of fighting after declaring the Palestinian Islamist group dismantled in the north on Saturday. In a televised press briefing on Tuesday, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said six soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in an accidental explosion on Monday as forces were operating to destroy militant infrastructure.

"Yesterday, we exposed the largest Hamas rocket and weapons production site in Al-Bureij. During the operational activity to destroy the underground infrastructure of the weapons production site, an explosion was caused as a result of tank fire identifying an enemy target. It appears that a tank shell hit a nearby power pole, triggering the charge," said Hagari.