Netanyahu: Israel to push on in Gaza until 'victory'

STORY: "Yesterday we experienced one of the most difficult days since the war erupted," said Netanyahu. "In the name of our heroes, for the sake of our lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory."

He said the military was "investigating the tragedy" in which Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said 21 soldiers were killed when two buildings they had mined for demolition exploded after militants fired at a nearby tank. Earlier, three soldiers were reported killed in a separate attack.

The deaths came the day the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched their biggest operation in a month, to seize remaining parts of Khan Younis, Gaza's main southern city, which is sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.