ANKARA/ISTANBUL

Four Israeli soldiers were wounded Saturday during ongoing ground offensives in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, the army and Israeli media reported.

The Israeli army said in a statement that one of its soldiers was moderately injured in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip, without providing further details.

Later, Israeli Broadcasting Authority KAN reported that "an Israeli soldier was moderately injured, while two other soldiers sustained minor injuries during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip," without providing further details.

On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz shared an aerial photo that showed the destruction of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, boasting of "leveling it to the ground."

The photo, taken from the air, shows vast areas of rubble and devastation, with nothing left in Beit Hanoun – which borders the southern frontier with Israel – except scattered ruins and destroyed buildings, depicting the scale of the disaster that has struck the area.

Beit Hanoun was among the first areas the Israeli army entered during its initial ground invasion of Gaza on Oct. 28, 2023.

Despite more than 21 months since the start of the genocidal war on Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian factions continue to conduct well-planned ambushes in the area, inflicting casualties on Israeli forces, showcasing Tel Aviv’s inability to achieve its war objectives.

Last Monday, the Israeli army acknowledged the deaths of five soldiers from the "Netzah Yehuda" Battalion of the "Kfir" Brigade and injury to 14 others, including two with serious wounds, in a battle in Beit Hanoun.

Later, an army investigation revealed that Hamas fighters detonated three explosive devices against a foot patrol of the battalion in Beit Hanoun, then engaged them with machine guns.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 57,900 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.