The Israeli army said Tuesday that at least 21 troops were killed and several others injured in a single ambush in the central Gaza Strip, according to Anadolu Agency.

In a statement, army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the incident took place near the Kissufim border community as Hamas attacked the soldiers attempting to destroy military infrastructure of the Palestinian resistance group.

He said the Hamas fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli tank, while, simultaneously, an explosion caused two two-story buildings to collapse.

"The buildings collapsed due to this explosion, while most of the forces were inside and near them," Hagari added.

He said an investigation had been launched into the incident as the explosion was the result of mines planted by Israeli soldiers, though the cause of their detonation is yet to be confirmed.

The army published the names of 10 soldiers, while the families of the remaining 11 were notified.

The deaths bring the death toll of Israeli soldiers in Gaza since a ground assault began on Oct. 27 to 219, while the army's overall death toll since the launch of the Israeli offensive against Gaza on Oct. 7 has risen to 556.