5 Israeli soldiers killed in northern Gaza and 18 Palestinians dead in Israeli strikes

By TIA GOLDENBERG FATMA KHALED and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press TEL AVIV Israel AP Five Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in Gaza the Israeli military noted Tuesday while strength functionaries in the Palestinian territory disclosed people were killed in Israeli strikes The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with U S President Donald Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting While there was no announcement of a breakthrough there were signs of progress toward a deal The killings of the soldiers could add to the pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal in Israel where polls have shown widespread patronage for ending the war Soldiers attacked with explosive devices An Israeli measure official reported explosive devices were detonated against the soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza which was an early target of the war and an area where Israel has repeatedly fought those regrouping Related Articles Italy s Bergamo airport suspends flights after a person reportedly got sucked into engine Nowadays in History July Thai cave rescue Foreigners deported from US to Salvadoran prison remain under US control Salvadoran officers tell UN Boxing great Julio C sar Ch vez defends son arrested by US immigration agents Daredevils run with charging bulls at Pamplona s famous San Ferm n festival Combatants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers the official reported The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn t authorized to discuss the occurrence with the media The military revealed soldiers were wounded in the attack two of them seriously It brings the toll of soldiers killed to since the war against Hamas began in Abu Obeida the spokesperson for Hamas armed wing disclosed on Telegram that its fighters operation in Beit Hanoun was an additional blow against what he described as a weak army in an area he announced the Israeli military thought was safe He added that the largest part foolish decision Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel released one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored car In a message Netanyahu sent his condolences for the deaths saying the soldiers fell in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages Israeli strikes in southern and central Gaza Physical condition personnel at the Nasser Hospital where casualties of the Israeli strikes were taken announced one of the strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killing four people A separate strike in Khan Younis killed four people including a mother father and their two children bureaucrats stated In central Gaza Israeli strikes hit a group of people killing people and injuring others according to a announcement by Awda Hospital in Nuseirat The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians saying the militant group operates out of populated areas The fighting has pushed the vitality care system in Gaza close to collapse On Tuesday the Palestine Red Crescent disclosed the Al-Zaytoun Clinical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area It stated the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get diagnostic care or obtain vaccinations for children Hopes for a ceasefire agreement soon Trump has made clear that following last month s -day war between Israel and Iran he would like to see the -month Gaza conflict end soon Netanyahu s visit to Washington may give new urgency to the ceasefire proposal White House bureaucrats are urging both sides to hastily seal an agreement that would bring about a -day pause in the fighting send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least chosen of the remaining hostages held in the territory of whom are deduced to be living A senior Israeli official reported that - of the details had been ironed out and that a final agreement could be days away The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren t authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media A sticking point has been whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether Hamas has declared it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders disarms and goes into exile something it refuses to do The war began when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct killing chosen people and taking others hostage Bulk have been distributed in earlier ceasefires Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over Palestinians more than half of them women and children according to Gaza s Robustness Ministry The ministry which is under Gaza s Hamas cabinet does not differentiate between civilians and combatants The U N and other international organizations see its figures as the largest part reliable statistics on war casualties Khaled broadcasted from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah Gaza Strip