Gaza City: An Israeli officer and six soldiers were killed on Tuesday during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the army reported Wednesday. The incident occurred in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, where an armored personnel carrier (APC) explosion claimed the lives of the servicemen.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli army's spokesperson announced that the slain soldiers were members of the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. The ongoing conflict has seen the Israeli army dismiss international appeals for a ceasefire, continuing its offensive against Gaza since October 2023. The offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children.

In a related development last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants accuse them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.