Five IDF soldiers were killed in an explosion in northern Gaza

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), five Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 others injured in an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday.

These deaths bring Israel’s death toll to 407 in more than 15 months of war in Gaza.

Reports from Gaza indicated numerous killings and attacks by Israeli airstrikes, underscoring the ongoing intensity of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, negotiators in Qatar were reportedly close to finalizing an agreement that could end the war and secure the release of hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The soldiers who died were part of the Nahal Brigade Reconnaissance Unit. The IDF said the incident occurred during a mission in the Beit Hanoun area on Monday morning.

According to initial reports, soldiers were inside the building and preparing to use explosives for engineering work when the explosive device detonated. The explosion caused the building to collapse, killing five soldiers.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, the IDF added.

The Israeli army continues its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 46,500 people dead, most of them women and children, since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. During the same period, Israel killed 204 journalists in Gaza.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war against the enclave.

Meanwhile, figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health show that since the Israeli attack on Lebanon began on October 8, 2023, at least 4,068 people, including women, children and health workers, have been killed and 16,668 others injured.

Lebanon and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement on November 27 last year to end more than 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah group.

However, Lebanese authorities reported at least 472 ceasefire violations by Israel, including the deaths of 32 people and injuries to 39 others.

The Directorate General of Lebanese Civil Defense announced late Sunday in a statement that it had recovered the bodies and remains of 11 people from the town of Tayr Harfa and five from the town of Alma al-Shaab and handed them over to authorities for DNA testing to identify them.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is obliged to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – the de facto border – in stages, while the Lebanese army is to be deployed to southern Lebanon within 60 days.