Five Israeli soldiers killed in Beit Hanoun area of Gaza

Five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army admitted on Tuesday, in one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the devastated Palestinian territory this year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court - lamented a "difficult morning" as he visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pressing for a ceasefire in the more than 21-month war.

The five soldiers "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip", the Israeli military said.

Two others were severely wounded and "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment", it said, adding their families had been notified.

Israeli military correspondents reported that the deaths occurred when improvised explosive devices were detonated in the area of Beit Hanoun in the north of the territory.

During attempts to evacuate the wounded, soldiers reportedly came under fire again.

"For the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel: this war must be ended," opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X.

At least 445 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, according to an AFP tally.

Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza shortly after the war began on 7 October 2023, devastating much of the enclave and dislocating most of its 2.3 million inhabitants.

'No breakthrough'

The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, with representatives of Israel and Palestinian group Hamas seated in different rooms in the same building.

Monday's session ended with "no breakthrough", a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP.

The Hamas and Israeli delegations were due to resume talks, with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also set to join them this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire.

The US proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living captives - taken during its 7 October 2023 attack in southern Israel - and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, Palestinian sources have said.

Hamas was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system, the sources close to the discussions told AFP.

The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.

It has killed at least 57,523 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. Thousands more are believed to be buried beneath the rubble.