The officials announced on Wednesday that ten Israeli Defense Forces soldiers were killed in Gaza during a bloody Hamas ambush, which was recorded as the highest daily death toll since October.
Most troops were killed in Gaza city's Shejaia district, including 44-year-old Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, when they were surprised by Hamas terrorists while trying to rescue another group of soldiers.
10 Israel Troops Killed in Gaza
Hamas proudly announced the news of the casualties, claiming they demonstrated Israel's inability to bring Gaza to its knees. It was the worst single-day loss the IDF had since October 31, when 15 troops were killed.
The military said that when the troops were searching, a cluster of buildings lost communication with four soldiers who had come under fire. Other soldiers were ambushed with heavy gunfire and explosives when they launched a rescue operation.
"The longer you stay there, the greater the bill of your deaths and losses will be, and you will emerge from it carrying the tail of disappointment and loss, God willing," Hamas said.
The intense fighting continued throughout the day in both north and southern Gaza as Israeli warplanes flew bombs across Gaza, and winter rains created wet fighting conditions for troops on the ground.
The rains also raised humanitarian alarms for the 2.3 million Gazans who were now homeless due to the conflict. Hundreds of thousands have resorted to living in makeshift tents.
Yasmin Mhani, who was hanging soaked clothing outside the tent she and he family are living in, shared that their house was destroyed and she was martyred with her child. She added that she woke up at night to find her seven-month-old child soaking wet.
She said they had been fleeing from one place to another with nothing but a t-shirt on, and it was the fifth place they had moved to.
Netanyahu Speaks Out
On Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the military commanders in a press conference. He said it was a tough day, but he confirmed that the war would continue until the end and until victory.
However, on Tuesday, Biden criticized the indiscriminate bombing by Israel, and the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly called for a ceasefire in a non-binding vote.
The bombing left Gaza's health care system and humanitarian aid operations close to collapse in large areas, and aid workers have warned of starvation and the spread of disease among displaced people.
Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said people in Gaza had to line up for hours to access a toilet.
She added that almost half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million were now in Rafah in the southern tip of the enclave to escape Israeli bombardment.
