Israeli army reports death of soldier in northern Gaza

By Abderaouf Arnaout and Ikram Kouachi

JERUSALEM / ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli army on Friday confirmed the death of one of its soldiers in northern Gaza, bringing the death toll of military personnel to 882 since the start of its war on the Palestinian enclave on Oct. 7, 2023.

In a statement, the army identified the latest fatality as Sergeant Yair Eliyahu who was killed in a battle in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun.

According to Israeli official figures, a total of 438 military personnel died during ground assaults which began on Oct. 27.

In total, 6,032 soldiers have been wounded since the start of the war, including 2,745 during the ground invasion of Gaza.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.