Israeli soldier seriously wounded in southern Gaza battle: Army

By Abderaouf Arnaout and Ikram Kouachi

JERUSALEM/ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli army reported on Friday that one of its soldiers was seriously injured during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday.

According to the Israeli army, a total of 858 soldiers have been killed since the start of its genocidal war in October 2023, including 416 in ground battles in Gaza.

Another 5,911 soldiers have been wounded, with 2,683 in ground offensives inside the enclave.

Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million population.

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 crimes against civilians in the enclave.