The Israeli occupation forces have confirmed the death of a soldier and the serious injury of another during battles in the southern Gaza Strip, according to a statement released on Sunday.

A Staff Sergeant from the 202nd Battalion in the Paratroopers Brigade died in confrontations in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. In a separate incident, a soldier from the engineering battalion sustained severe injuries.

This latest death raises the weekend death toll among Israeli soldiers in Gaza to five. On Saturday, the IOF acknowledged under the "permitted for publication" clause that three soldiers were killed in battles in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, located in the southeastern area of Gaza City. 

Two sergeants of the 6130th Reconnaissance Battalion of the 16th Brigade were killed in a blast in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, while a sergeant in the 8119th Battalion suffered injuries.

Seven other soldiers who were with the latter suffered injuries, with four in critical condition.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the confirmed death toll among Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip has reached 700. Although Israeli media reports suggest that the actual number is significantly higher, the figure is revised down due to Israeli censorship laws.

Hamas back to pre-October 7 capabilities

Israeli Reserve Major General Yitzhak Brik criticized on Saturday the Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, stating that he "should be consigned to the dustbin of history."

Brik's remarks came after Halevi's appointment of Shlomi Bender as the head of Military Intelligence (Aman).

He accused Halevi of appointing his friends to protect himself, asserting that both Bender and Halevi have failed, particularly in the context of having "neither offensive nor defensive" plans for Gaza.

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"[Bender's appointment] reflects the [bad] level we have reached," Brik's said, accusing Halevi of "not taking responsibility, deceiving the public, and continuing unethical practices to strengthen his team," which he described as part of the worst failure in the entity's history.

The retired general recounted his earlier meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighting a stark contrast between Netanyahu's private conversations and his public statements. Brik noted that while the Prime Minister would agree with him during their discussions, he would later make contradictory remarks in public when facing threats.

Brik further mentioned that Netanyahu admitted there was no clear solution to the Resistance tunnels in Gaza, which are a significant security concern. He suggested that although Netanyahu is capable of making more effective decisions, his primary focus is on maintaining the stability of his government.

Brik added that Hamas' strength is now "very close to what it was before the war," suggesting that the actual number of Hamas members killed by Israel is much lower than officially reported and that these fighters have been replaced by new recruits aged 18 to 19.