Israel evacuates 40 of its soldiers wounded in Gaza to hospital

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army evacuated 40 of its soldiers who were wounded in battles in Gaza in the past 24 hours to a hospital for treatment, local media reported Friday.

"40 soldiers injured in the past 24 hours were transferred to Soroka Medical Center (in southern Israel)," Israel’s Maariv daily quoted a medical source at the hospital as saying.

The newspaper added that two Israeli soldiers who were wounded during a failed attempt to free Israeli captives in Gaza were among the 40 evacuated to the hospital.

It noted that a total of 42 soldiers are currently being treated at Soroka Medical Center, including 10 in serious condition.

The Israeli army said four soldiers had been killed in clashes in Gaza since early Friday, bringing the army's toll since the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas began on Oct. 7 to 420.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with Hamas.

At least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,480 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar