2 Israeli soldiers killed, 7 others seriously injured in northern Gaza: Israeli army

ANKARA

The Israeli army on Wednesday morning announced that two more soldiers were killed and seven others seriously wounded in battles with Palestinian fighters in northern Gaza.

In a statement, the Israeli army identified the slain soldiers as Maj. Iftah Shahar, 25, and Cpt. Itai Seif, 24, both serving in the army's Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion.

Seven other soldiers of the battalion were seriously injured in the same incident as a result of an explosive device blast in a booby-trapped building in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.

At least 242 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli ground operation on Oct. 27, while the death toll of the Israeli army since the launch of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza on Oct. 7 has risen to 582.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 29,900 and injured over 70,000 with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.