UPDATE – Israeli army says 3 more soldiers killed in Gaza fighting

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, CHANGES HEADLINE​​​​​​​

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli army said Monday three more soldiers were killed in clashes in the northern Gaza Strip.

A military statement said two soldiers from the 890 Paratrooper Battalion were killed in combat north of the blockaded territory.

Another soldier from the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit was killed in the northern Gaza Strip, the army said in a separate statement.

On Sunday, the army said that five Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

There are conflicting reports about the total number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, 66 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the army expanded its ground operations in the enclave on Oct. 27.

On Saturday, army spokesman Daniel Hagari put the military death toll since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7 at 378.

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on Oct. 7, at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 9,000 women and children, and more than 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity, and water supplies, and hindered aid deliveries.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.