ISTANBUL

At least two more Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, bringing the death toll of Israeli soldiers since Oct. 7 to 418, local media reported.

The two soldiers are First Sergeant Kobi Dvash, 41, a reserve soldier in the Armored Corps from Tiberias, and First Sergeant Eyal Meir Berkovitch, 28, from the 699th Battalion of the 551st Brigade from Jerusalem, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation quoted the Israeli army as saying.

On Thursday, the Israeli army said that the number of soldiers killed since Oct. 7 had reached 416.

Israel resumed its military offensive against the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group, Hamas.

At least 17,177 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,000 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi