IOF acknowledges 1 dead in North Gaza confrontations, 576 since Oct 7

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
21 Feb 2024 08:58

The Israeli occupation army acknowledges the death of a new soldier and the injury of three others in confrontations across the northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli soldiers carry the flag-draped casket of a reservist during his funeral at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. (AP)

The Israeli occupation army acknowledges the death of a First Sergeant and the critical injury of three others during confrontations with the Palestinian Resistance in the northern Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media, the killed sergeant was a fighter in the 932nd Battalion of the Israeli occupation's "Nahal" Brigade.

A fighter from the same battalion and a reserve fighter from the 636th Information Battalion, "Judea and Samaria 877" Brigade, were also seriously injured in the northern Gaza confrontations. Israeli media added that a fighter from the "Shaked" Battalion, "Givati" Brigade, was also seriously injured in the northern sector.

Earlier, the Israeli army admitted to the death of another soldier in its ranks due to serious injuries sustained in a previous battle against Palestinian resistance in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.

With this, the number of officially recognized deaths in the Israeli occupation army has risen to 576 since October 7, 2023.

Despite the Israeli occupation army's strict control over the publication of the true numbers of its casualties and injuries, due to ground confrontations in the sector, aiming to conceal the extent of its losses, accurate data and recorded footage broadcast by Palestinian Resistance indicate that the losses incurred by the occupation are much greater than officially announced.

Heavy battles across Gaza as Resistance continues fight against IOF

Violent confrontations have resumed between the Palestinian Resistance and occupation forces in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of the city of Gaza, amid continuous Israeli attempts to take full control of the area more than 4 months into the aggression, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades said that it shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers with mortars and that its fighters engaged in heavy combat with a group of occupation soldiers in the neighborhood at point-blank range.

The group also revealed striking a Merkava tank with an al-Yassin 105 shell, in addition to an armored personnel carrier with a tandem shell, south of the neighborhood.

In the Block J area West of Khan Younis, al-Qassam announced that its fighters detonated an explosive device in a 6-man Israeli force fortified in a house, confirming casualties among the troops.

For their part, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades confirmed confronting Israeli forces and military vehicles in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood using machine guns and anti-tank missiles, resulting in several casualties among the invaders.

In an operation similar to that of al-Qassam, the Resistance group's fighters, using a TGP shell, struck a house west of Khan Younis where 6 Israeli soldiers were stationed.

Gaza City also saw fighters from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, engaging in fierce confrontations with Israeli occupation soldiers reinforced with heavy military vehicles.

The group said it had targeted Israeli forces across the city's battle axes, confirming direct hits. It also revealed targeting Israeli forces' positions east of Beit Hanoun with heavy caliber mortar shells.

Meanwhile, fighters from the National Resistance Brigades (the forces of the martyr Omar al-Qassem), the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), confronted Israeli forces advancing east of Gaza City using a variety of weaponry. The group confirmed casualties among occupation troops.

As for the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the group stated it had carried out tactical strikes using mortars against gathering positions of Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the eastern areas of Jabalia and Gaza City.