7 Israeli troops are killed in a Gaza bombing as Palestinian officials say Israeli attacks kill 79

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Wednesday reported one of its deadliest days in Gaza in months as its military said seven soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored vehicle. Health officials in the battered enclave said Israeli attacks killed 79 people over the past day.

The attack on the Israeli troops, which occurred on Tuesday, quickly drew the nation’s attention back to the grinding conflict with the Hamas militant group after nearly two weeks of war between Israel and Iran.

Among the 79 reported killed in Gaza were 33 people who died while trying to access aid. Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds heading toward desperately needed food, killing hundreds in recent weeks. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner.

Israel has been fighting in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. U.S.-led ceasefire efforts have repeatedly stalled.

Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the army’s chief spokesman, said the soldiers were attacked in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where the army has operated on and off throughout much of the war.

“Helicopters and rescue forces were sent to the spot. They made attempts to rescue the fighters, but without success,” he said.

The army said another soldier was seriously wounded in a separate incident in Khan Younis. It gave no further details, but Hamas claimed on its Telegram channel it had ambushed Israeli soldiers taking cover inside a residential building.

Over 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the war began, including more than 400 during the fighting in Gaza.

The initial Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Some 50 hostages remain in captivity, at least 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

With a fragile ceasefire holding between Israel and Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said there has been “great progress” in Gaza ceasefire talks, without elaborating.

“I think we’re going to have some very good news,” Trump told reporters at the NATO summit. He credited the U.S. interference in the Israel-Iran war for progress on Gaza, saying that “I think that it helped a little bit, it showed a lot of power."

Some Palestinians in Gaza City expressed frustration that the war has dragged on for nearly two years, while the conflict between Israel and Iran lasted 12 days before a fragile ceasefire.

“I live in a tent and now my tent is gone too and we’re living in suffering here. The war between Israel and Iran ended in less than two weeks and we’ve been dying for two years,” said Um Zidan, a woman displaced from northern Gaza.

Gaza health authorities had announced on Tuesday that the number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen above 56,000. Experts say Israel’s blockade and military campaign have driven the population to the brink of famine.

Mazen al-Jomla, a displaced resident of Shati camp, questioned why war in the coastal enclave has stretched on, noting that Israel’s assault on Iran was based on accusations that it was seeking nuclear weapons.

“We have been suffering for two years; from horrors, destruction, martyrs and injured people," he said. "What do they (Israel) have left here? There are no houses, trees, or rocks, or humans left. Everything was destroyed.”

The war has triggered a spiraling humanitarian crisis in the territory, which only worsened when Israel cut off aid for weeks earlier this year. Israel is now letting a limited amount of goods into the territory that aid groups say is too little.

On Wednesday, aid reached Gaza's main city for the first time since March after deliveries were plagued by looting and coordination issues between aid agencies and the Israeli military.

People cheered as a convoy of aid trucks, some carrying flour, arrived.

Ahmad Nattat said he hoped regular aid deliveries would replace having to go to collection points set up by the American-led Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Crowds heading to those sites have repeatedly been fired on. The foundation says there has been no violence at the sites themselves.

“Instead of those young men putting their lives at risk to get flour if they’re lucky … there is aid now that could be fairly distributed among all the people,” he said, standing between tents and rubble of destroyed buildings. “I pray to God that it’s distributed quickly to people so everyone can have some aid.”

The latest reported Palestinian death toll of 56,156 is higher than in any previous Israeli-Palestinian fighting. The Health Ministry in Gaza doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says more than half of the dead have been women and children.

The ministry said the dead include 5,759 who have been killed since Israel resumed fighting on March 18, shattering a two-month ceasefire.

Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, which operates in heavily populated areas. Israel says over 20,000 Hamas militants have been killed, though it has provided no evidence to support that claim. Hamas has not commented on its casualties.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that three people were killed after Jewish settlers stormed a town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Najeb Rostom, head of the local council of Kafr Malik, said more than 100 settlers entered the town Wednesday evening, set property ablaze and opened fire on residents who tried to stop them.

The Israeli military confirmed that settlers set fire to property in the town and said five were arrested. It said soldiers opened fire on Palestinians who had thrown rocks at forces and that there were a number of people killed and wounded as a result.

In east Jerusalem, a 66-year-old Palestinian woman was shot and killed during an Israeli raid on Wednesday, her husband said.

Joudah Al-Obeidi, a 67-year-old resident of the area's Shuafat refugee camp, said his wife, Zahia, was standing on the roof of their home when Israeli forces stormed the camp. He said police shot her in the head, and that she had posed no threat.

Israeli police confirmed they were operating in the area and had opened fire at protesters who threw stones at them. But they had no information about the shooting of the woman, saying only that a woman had been pronounced dead after arriving at a military checkpoint with “serious penetrating injuries,” and said they were still investigating.

This story was first published on June 25, 2025. It was updated on June 26, 2025, to correct that Iran has been accused of seeking nuclear weapons, not possessing nuclear weapons. It was also updated to clarify that shootings have taken place as people headed to sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and that the foundation says there has no violence at the sites themselves.

Khaled reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Ibrahim Hazboun contributed.

Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed during an Israeli strike, at their funeral in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians mourn over the bodies of people who were killed during an Israeli strike, at the morgue of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians carry sacks of food and humanitarian aid unloaded from trucks convoy that had been heading to Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians live in a tent camp in Gaza City, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians live in a tent camp in Gaza City, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic 34-31 wild-card round win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception, while Puka Nacua had 10 receptions for 111 yards and two total touchdowns as the Rams (13-5), who were 10 1/2-point favorites, advanced to the divisional playoffs.

Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for Carolina (8-10), which finished the season losing four of its final five games. Jalen Coker had career highs with nine receptions for 134 yards with a touchdown and Chuba Hubbard ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers fell behind 14-0 early, but stormed back to take a 24-20 lead on Hubbard's second touchdown of the run game early in the fourth quarter.

Stafford, who was selected as an All-Pro earlier in the day, led the Rams back down on the field and found Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown strike over the middle for a 27-24 lead.

Los Angeles appeared to be in charge after getting a stop on defense giving Stafford the ball back.

But a holding penalty put the Rams behind the sticks and forced a punt, which Isaiah Simmons blocked to set the Panthers up the Rams 30.

Four plays later, Young found Coker in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike to give Carolina a 31-27 lead 2:39 left, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

But Stafford quickly moved the Rams 71 yards in seven plays with Panthers two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on the sideline with a concussion, finishing it off with a perfectly placed pass to Parkinson near the right side of the goal line. Parkinson, who had two TDs last week, forced his way into the end zone for the score.

“Yeah, total team effort," Stafford said. “Obviously had some mistakes along the way. I turned it over, we had a punt blocked, didn’t score before the half when we probably should have. So, a lot to clean up, but found a way to win it late. I believe in my teammates, I know they believe in me.”

It was nearly the second time this season the Rams lost to the Panthers as a 10 1/2-point underdog. Carolina won 31-28 on Nov. 30.

Carolina's last attempt to move into field-goal range ended when Jimmy Horn dropped a fourth down pass from Young.

Carolina was hoping the return of former quarterback Cam Newton to Bank of America Stadium to hit the “Keep Pounding” drum before the game would give the Panthers a little extra mojo early, but things didn't start well.

After the Rams defense came up with a stop on fourth down at midfield on Carolina's opening drive, Stafford quickly moved the offense downfield and found Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle for a 7-0 lead.

Nacua made it 14-0 on a 5-yard run following Young's interception.

Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.

The Rams had a chance to build on the lead, but Nacau dropped a potential third TD on a pass down the right sideline from Stafford just before halftime.

Stafford surpassed Kurt Warner for the most postseason passing yards and completions in Rams history.

Rams: advance to the divisional round.

Panthers: season over.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) runs after a catch during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom (56) during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (84) dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)