Protesters in Israel marched towards the border fence with the Gaza Strip on Friday, calling for an end to the war.

The demonstration came as Israel is waging a major ground offensive in Gaza City that has forced nearly 250,000 Palestinians to flee, according to the United Nations.

Hundreds of thousands remain in the city, large parts of which have already been destroyed in previous Israeli raids.

Four Israeli soldiers were killed by an explosive device during an operation in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah on Thursday, said Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the Israeli military spokesman.

They are the first casualties to be announced since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza City, in the north.

Such deaths could further erode support for the war among Israelis who fear that the fighting puts soldiers and hostages at risk.

At least 460 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023.

The war has killed at least 65,141 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government.

U.N. agencies and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack that started the war and abducted 251 others.

Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

On Tuesday a team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations' Human Rights Council concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

AP video By Shlomo Mor.