Israel's military said Thursday five soldiers had been killed in the northern Gaza Strip, where intense fighting has resumed more than seven months into its war on Gaza.
The soldiers were killed "in battle" on Wednesday, the army said in a statement, without elaborating on the cause of their deaths.
The latest fatalities take the number of Israeli troops killed in the Gaza military campaign since the start of the ground offensive on October 27 to 278.
Fighting has raged in recent days in northern Gaza, with an Israeli army spokesman saying there were "attempts by Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities" months after Israel had declared the Palestinian armed group's command structure in the area dismantled.
The announcement came after The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas said that they killed 12 Israeli soldiers in 'complex operation' in the Jabalia refugee camp earlier.
