Israel Army Says 8 Soldiers Killed In "Operational Activity" In South Gaza

The Israeli military said eight soldiers were killed in southern Gaza Saturday "in operational activity" while they were in an armoured vehicle, in one of the deadliest incidents since the war broke out on October 7.

Israeli media reported the troops died in the city of Rafah when their armoured vehicle exploded.

The military said in a statement that Captain Wassem Mahmud, 23, and seven other soldiers "fell during operational activity in southern Gaza".

"Their families have been notified," the statement added.

The military confirmed to AFP that the incident occurred inside a Namer armoured vehicle.

The latest fatalities take the military's toll to 306 in the Gaza military campaign since Israel began its ground offensive in the Palestinian territory on October 27.

The war between Israel and Palestinian operatives led by Hamas began when fighters of the Islamist group that rules Gaza carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 37,296 people, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.