Israel's offensive in Gaza strip has killed over 400 people as of Monday, the highest casualty of the Hamas-Israel war. Included among the dead are 18 Israeli soldiers, authorities said.

The ground invasion of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has killed at least 434 Palestinians, with some 100 people killed on Sunday alone, Gaza health officials said. Some 2,600 Palestinians have been wounded.

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Sunday's assault in Shejaia neighborhood is the deadliest day for both sides since the invasion started on Thursday last week. IDF said they lost 18 soldiers during the same day.

The jump in the death toll comes as Hamas' armed wing says their forces had captured an Israeli soldier in the Gaza strip.

Abu Ubaida, spokesman of the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said in a televised announcement that a soldier identified as Shaul Aron is under their custody. No other proof was presented regarding the abduction aside from the supposed Aron's identity tag number.

"Qassam Brigades captured a Zionist soldier," Ubaida said, as quoted by Reuters.

If confirmed, it will be the first case of abduction of an Israeli soldier in Gaza since 2011, when Israel released about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to bring back an Israel soldier named Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas militants for more than five years. Israel said it will verify the report.

IDF is intensifying its ground attacks in Gaza border, supporting the ground offensive with aerial and naval attacks.

Israel said it had brought down 187 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, and uncovered 13 "terror tunnels" which they said were used by militants to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

But the attacks in Israel continue with eight Hamas militants infiltrated the Jewish state on Saturday through the Gaza tunnel.

The militants, armed with automatic weapons and wearing Israeli military uniforms, attack two Israeli military jeeps on patrol and killed two Israeli officers, New York Times detailed.

IDF said more than 87 rockets were fired to Israel on Sunday, 70 of them hitting parts of the country, while 17 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

The war has no apparent end as of Monday, with both sides insisting to continue their attacks despite calls from the international community to forge a truce to end the bloody war. 

TagsIsrael, Hamas, Hamas militans, Gaza Strip, Israel-Hamas war