Held Operations In The Military In Khan Younis, Israel: This Area Is More Challenging So That Our Plans Are Affected

Israeli soldiers in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

The deaths of 21 Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Monday, have been the most daily deaths on the Israeli side since the war with the Hamas group in Gaza last October.

"As far as we know, at around 4 p.m., an RPG was fired at a tank that secured the troops, and simultaneously, there was an explosion in two two-story buildings. The buildings collapsed due to this explosion, while most of the troops were inside and near the building", reported The Times of Israel January 23.

Earlier, in a statement Monday Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said operations around Khan Younis challenged and required accuracy.

The IDF said it was targeting Hamas posts, infrastructure, and command and control centers in the city, in an operation launched on Sunday and led by Israel's 98th Parung Falls Forces Division.

"Dismantling the Hamas military framework in western Khan Younis is at the core of the logic behind the operation," the statement said.

The IDF said it had seen militants in "sensitive locations" such as hospitals and shelters in densely populated civilian areas.

"We have prepared several strategies and a number of facilities for operational activities. This area is more challenging, so that our plan is affected," the statement said.