Gaza City, Gaza - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday promised an investigation into the military "disaster" that led to the death of 24 soldiers in Gaza the day before, the biggest single-day toll since the start of Israel's ground operation on October 27.

Twenty-one soldiers were killed when rocket-propelled grenade fire hit a tank near two buildings that were about to be demolished with explosives, bringing the two-story structures down on the reservists, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.

"The buildings collapsed as a result of this explosion, while most of the force was inside and near it," he said.

A medical evacuation team was deployed, but it was a "complicated operation, which took place until the last hours," Hagari said, indicating the difficulty in extracting bodies buried under the rubble.

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The army had previously announced the deaths of three other soldiers on Monday, taking the day's overall toll to 24 – the deadliest since the ground offensive started in Gaza.

Israel says over 200 have been killed in the relentless assault so far. The death toll in Gaza is nearing 26,000 – the vast majority women and children – with thousands more feared dead under the rubble in the devastated strip.

Despite over 100 days of attacks on Gaza, Monday's incident underscored Hamas' continued fighting capabilities, which US intelligence has also confirmed.