Israeli soldier seriously injured in southern Gaza, military says

By Zein Khalil and Tarek Chouiref

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Israeli soldier was seriously wounded in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the army said.

A military statement said the soldier served with the Kfir Brigade's 92nd Battalion (Samson), without giving any details about the circumstances of his injury.

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the soldier was wounded when a building collapsed in Rafah city near the border with Egypt.

At least 893 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 6,108 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, according to military figures.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since the end of 2023, killing nearly 58,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.