5 more Israeli soldiers injured as clashes intensify in Gaza, Lebanon

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - At least five more Israeli soldiers were injured in clashes in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon over the last 24 hours, the military said on Friday.

According to an Israeli military statement, 4 soldiers were injured in fighting in southern Lebanon, while one was injured in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

Military figures released by the army showed that some 745 soldiers have been killed and 4,945 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing at least 42,500 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 99,500 others.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed more than 1,500 people and injured over 4,500 others since Sept. 23.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching on Oct. 1 a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar