UPDATE - 9 Israeli soldiers injured in Gaza fighting: Report

​​​​​​​ADDS MORE INJURIES, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Ikram Kouachi and Rania Abu Shamala

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Nine Israeli soldiers were wounded Saturday in fighting in the war-torn Gaza Strip, according to the army and media reports.

A military statement said a soldier was moderately injured in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip, without providing details.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that two more soldiers sustained minor injuries in fighting in the south.

In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, an Israeli combat engineer was moderately wounded when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said.

Four other soldiers were injured in clashes in the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City, it reported.

On Monday, five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 others were injured in a Hamas ambush in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.

Despite more than 21 months since the start of the genocidal war on Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian factions continue to conduct well-planned ambushes in the area, inflicting casualties on Israeli forces, showcasing Tel Aviv’s inability to achieve its war objectives.

At least 890 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 6,089 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, according to military figures.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since the end of 2023, killing nearly 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.