The Israeli army said that five of its soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Gaza on Monday, while eight others were wounded, AFP reported, quoted by BNR.
Since the start of the offensive against "Hamas", which began on October 27, 2023, the Israeli army has suffered 408 casualties, AFP recalls.
The Israeli army said that it had intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen before it entered the country's airspace, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
This is the latest such attack in recent time.
Earlier yesterday, the Israeli army reported intercepting a drone over the southern part of the country, also launched from Yemen.
There are no reports of casualties or material damage.
The Houthis, for their part, announced that they had launched a hypersonic "Palestine 2" missile against a site in Jaffa, a district of Tel Aviv, and that they had sent four drones to the area.
The agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages is close and could be finalized during the last week of US President Joe Biden's term.
This was stated by White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, AFP reported, quoted by BNR
"We are close to a deal and it could be concluded this week. "I'm not making a promise or a prediction, but it's there and we're going to work to make it happen," Sullivan said.
On January 12, Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and on January 13, he called the ruler of Qatar, who is mediating the negotiations, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The American leader is pushing for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group "Hamas" before leaving office on January 20 and handing it over to Donald Trump.
Sullivan said he now hopes for a deal more than in previous cases since the war in Gaza broke out after the "Hamas" attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
"That's because the differences have fundamentally narrowed," Sullivan said.
Progress has been made on issues including a formula for exchanging hostages held by "Hamas" and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as well as on how Israeli forces will be "positioned" in Gaza, he said.
Sullivan noted the fact that Israel has achieved its military objectives in Gaza, while "Hamas" has suffered "catastrophic losses".
"When you put those two factors together, we think the time is right to make a deal and to close it," the senior official in the outgoing administration said.