DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (NEWSnet/AP) — At least 70 people were killed in Gaza in one of the deadliest strikes of the war, health officials said Sunday, while Israel’s leaders acknowledged the “very heavy price” after 15 soldiers were killed in combat over the weekend.

Associated Press journalists at a nearby hospital watched frantic Palestinians carry the dead and wounded, including children, following the deadly strike on the Maghazi refugee camp, east of Deir al-Balah. One bloodied young girl looked stunned as her body was checked for broken bones.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said death count from the strike is likely to rise.

As Christmas Eve fell, smoke rose over the besieged territory, while in the West Bank, Bethlehem was hushed,  its holiday celebrations canceled. In neighboring Egypt, tentative efforts continued on a deal for another exchange of hostages for Palestinians held by Israel.

The mounting death toll among Israeli troops, 154 since the ground offensive began, could erode public support for the war.

A majority of Israelis still stand behind the nation’s stated goal of crushing Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That's despite rising international pressure against Israel’s offensive, and the soaring death toll and unprecedented suffering among Palestinians.

“The war exacts a very heavy price from us, but we have no choice but to continue fighting,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

In a nationally televised speech, Israel President Isaac Herzog appealed for the country to remain united.

“This moment is a test. We will not break nor blink,” Herzog said.

Effort toward negotiation continued. Ziyad al-Nakhalah, head of Palestine Islamic Jihad, arrived in Egypt for discussions. The militant group, which also took part in the Oct. 7 attack, said it is prepared to consider releasing hostages only after fighting ends. Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh traveled to Cairo days earlier.

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