Fifteen Israeli soldiers have been killed amid fierce fighting in Gaza, during operations to strike the bases of Hamas militants.
The worst loss of life occurred when a Namer armored personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile around noon on Tuesday, killing 11 soldiers and injuring several others.
In another incident, a number of soldiers were killed when their vehicle ran over a mine. In another reported incident, two soldiers died when a grenade launcher hit the building they were in.
As the names of the dead soldiers were released on Wednesday, after the families had been informed, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to continue the ground offensive in Gaza.
"We are in a difficult fight. It will also be a long fight. We have important achievements, but also painful losses," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office on Wednesday evening.
The latest deaths bring to 320 the number of Israeli soldiers who have been killed since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on October 7.
The mounting losses for Tuesday appeared piecemeal after it was revealed that several other soldiers who had been seriously wounded had died of their wounds.
Footage of Hamas's surprise attacks on Israeli soldiers entering Gaza has been published on social media. In the video, Hamas militants emerge from the underground tunnels and fire anti-tank missiles at the vehicles of the Israeli forces.
In another video, a group of over 10 Israeli soldiers can be seen being fired upon by a grenade launched by a flying drone, a tactic similar to that widely used in the Ukraine war.