The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) early Wednesday confirmed 10 soldiers were killed on Tuesday during a battle with Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip. This takes the total of Tuesday casualties to 12 as two more soldiers were confirmed killed earlier.
The IDF continues their ground, and air assault in Gaza to eliminate Hamas militants and claims to have struck 1,100 Hamas targets, including underground tunnels and militant outposts in overnight operation.
Dozens of Hamas militants were also killed but Palestinian authorities have not confirmed these numbers.
The Israeli military also struck a refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing more than 50 Palestinians, Hamas-run health ministry claimed last night as Israel rejected international calls for a ceasefire.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas’ military and governance capabilities in response to the militant group’s brutal October 7 attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians and saw at least 239 captured.
‘Soldiers fell in a just war’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement on the death of 11 IDF soldiers in Gaza, said that they fell in a just war and assured full government support to their families.
“We are in a difficult war. It will be a long war. We have important achievements in it, but also painful losses,” he said.
“We know – each of our soldiers is a whole world.
“The entire nation of Israel embraces you, the families, from the bottom of our hearts. We are all with you in your time of great sorrow.
“Our soldiers fell in a just war, a war for our home. I promise you citizens of Israel: we will continue until we fulfill the mission – we will continue until victory,” the Israeli PM added.