By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Monday announced that another of its soldiers was killed in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the army identified the soldier as Sgt. Koren Bitan, 19, of the army's 450 Battalion, part of the infantry Bislamach Brigade.
The death brings the number of Israeli troops killed since the onslaught on Gaza last October to 740, and wounded to 4,858, according to Israeli army.
Over the last year, Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million people, while also generating famine-like conditions and spread of disease. It is now also conducting air and ground raids in Lebanon.
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