Israeli Army loses three officers in Gaza conflict
In a sombre development, the Israeli army has reported the loss of three officers, including a major general, in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. EFE, cited by Agerpres, conveyed that these casualties bring the total death toll to 167 since the commencement of the ground offensive in the Palestinian Strip.
The Israeli armed forces confirmed the deaths on Wednesday of a major general, a captain, and a sergeant, aged 32, 24, and 22, respectively, in different areas of Gaza. This follows the recent death of a general, marking the highest-ranking soldier to fall in the Gaza conflict.
Israeli army data reveals that at least 898 soldiers have been wounded since the ground offensive began on October 27.
The military offensive, encompassing land, sea, and air operations in Gaza, has recently focused on areas like Derj Tupah in northern Gaza. An Israeli fighter jet targeted an anti-tank squadron of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in this region.
Israeli troops, in a statement, disclosed the destruction of Hamas' infrastructure inside a building that had been used by Palestinian militants to launch rocket attacks on Israeli military vehicles.
Meanwhile, the UN has issued a warning about the escalation of fighting in Gaza, reaching all areas of the enclave, including Rafah in the far south. The town of Khan Younis, which houses a significant number of internally displaced people due to conflicts in the north, has also been affected.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on December 27 that Jabalia and Gaza City in the north were the towns most affected by shelling. However, hostilities persisted in refugee camps in the central part of the Strip. Israeli forces targeted multiple locations in Khan Younis and Rafah, resulting in the deaths of at least 195 Palestinians and 22 Israeli soldiers on December 26 and 27.
Among the documented incidents on Wednesday, the UN report highlights the killing of six Palestinians in Gaza City by snipers and an attack on a girls' kindergarten in the centre of the Palestinian enclave. The kindergarten was being used as a shelter for internally displaced people, leading to the loss of at least five lives.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
