Jerusalem: Israel’s army said Friday that two reserve soldiers were killed in Gaza, with a military source telling AFP they died in an explosion of an Israeli army drone.

“The IDF drone crashed at a military post in the Gaza Strip but did not explode. The soldiers approached the drone, which exploded moments later,” the official said.

“The incident is under review,” the source added.

The army identified the soldiers as Nadav Kali, aged 24, and Ofek Moalem, 23, from its 7007th Battalion, 16th Brigade.

The deaths bring the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza to 970 since the start of the war, which was launched in response to the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed more than 1,200 people.

Of the 970 soldiers killed, seven have died since the start of a ceasefire last year.

The war waged by Israel in Gaza has left nearly 74,000 dead, according to the territory’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.