JERUSALEM

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others injured in a helicopter crash in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the military said on Wednesday.

A military statement said a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed as it was evacuating a soldier seriously wounded in clashes with Palestinian fighters last night.

The army said the helicopter hit the ground while trying to make a landing and was not hit by fire. It, however, said the crash was still under investigation.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 41,000 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and nearly 95,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara