JERUSALEM
Two more Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said Wednesday.
In a statement, the army said that Capt. Dmitry Levitas, 26, and 1st Lt. Natan Cohen, 23, were killed by sniper fire in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening.
According to the statement, 20 soldiers were also injured, including three seriously, in clashes with Palestinian gunmen in the blockaded seaside enclave.
The latest fatalities bring to 31 the number of Israelis killed since July 7 when Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of halting rocket fire. The fatalities include 29 soldiers and two civilians.
At least 639 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed and more than 4000 injured in the ongoing Israeli attacks, now in the third week.
Israel's military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populate Gaza Strip – which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – within the last six years.
In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week-long "Operation Cast Lead."
By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.
