By Abdel Ra'ouf D. A. R. Arnaout
JERUSALEM, (AA) – The Israeli army on Sunday released the names of three more soldiers killed in battles in the northern Gaza Strip since Saturday evening, bringing the total to 11.
The Israeli army said in a statement that “Reserve Major Yakir Biton (34 years old), Reserve Major Hayna Yahalom (35 years old), and Staff Sergeant Rani Tahan (40 years old) were killed in battles in the northern Gaza Strip.”
On Saturday evening, the Israeli army announced the fatalities of six soldiers, which was later increased to eight.
In a separate statement on Saturday, the Israeli army said it will expand its ground operation to the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood east of Gaza city and the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip.
It also reported that fierce clashes took place with the Palestinian fighters as they targeted the Israeli forces on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced on Sunday that 380 soldiers and officers had been killed since Oct. 7, the majority of whom were killed in a surprise attack on Israeli military bases and towns in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7.
The official Israeli broadcasting authority reported on Sunday that 60 soldiers were killed in the ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip since Oct. 27.
Last week, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that 260 soldiers had been injured since the start of the ground operation, including 100 in serious condition.