1 more Israeli soldier killed in southern Gaza fighting

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said on Friday that one more soldier was killed in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a military statement, the army identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. Ittai Fogel, 22, of the army's 401 Brigade, but did not provide further details on how he was killed.

The soldier's death brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the launch of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza on Oct. 7 last year to 734.

According to Israeli official figures, 20 soldiers were wounded in the past 24 hours in Gaza and other fighting fronts, bringing the total wounded soldiers since Oct, 7, 2023 to 4,720.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,100 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 98,100 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara