UPDATES DEATH TOLL, REVISES HEADLINE
By Abdel Raouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – The number of Israeli soldiers killed overnight in the ongoing ground battles inside the Gaza Strip has risen to 15, bringing the total number of troops killed since the outbreak of the current conflict last month to 330, state media reported.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported the killing of another soldier following the Israeli army's announcement of the deaths of nine soldiers during battles overnight in Gaza.
It was later clarified that the Israeli army had declared the killing of five more Israeli soldiers in the Gaza battles, bringing the total number of soldiers killed in Gaza since Tuesday to 15.
In a press conference on Wednesday, the Israeli army's spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, described the losses suffered by the Israeli military as "painful."
Since Tuesday, the Israeli army has issued multiple statements reporting intense battles inside the Gaza Strip following incursions from various directions.
The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise offensive against Israel on Oct. 7.
The death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has climbed to 8,525, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said Tuesday.
More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala