JERUSALEM 

Israel’s army chief of staff said Wednesday that Israel has “paid a heavy price” in its war on Gaza, acknowledging the loss of leaders and fighters, local media reported. 

Herzi Halevi made the remarks in a speech during a graduation ceremony for navy officers in Haifa in the presence of the Commander in Chief of the Israeli Navy, Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

“The Israeli army has been operating at sea, on land, and in the air for more than 150 days on several fronts, achieving significant accomplishments every day towards meeting the goals of the war,” Halevi said.

But “alongside the many achievements in the war, we paid heavy prices and lost commanders and troops,” he added.

Halevi pointed out that “control of the maritime dimension is necessary for Israel's security, starting with the security of waters in its exclusive economic zone, protecting strategic assets and damaging the enemy's maritime infrastructure, elements and capabilities in both nearby and distant arenas.”

“Often, the naval force is combined with the activities of ground and air forces, enabling the Israeli army to carry out complex operations,” he added.

Halevi said “the joint integration between these branches enhances the qualitative advantage of the Israeli army.”​​​​​​​

He noted that “the importance of training in times of war is multiplied compared to ordinary times.”

Halevi also touched on the debate in Israel over the draft law presented by the government to the Knesset, or parliament, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.

In this regard, he said “enlisting in the military is the only way to ensure that the deaths of soldiers in war weren’t in vain.”

According to figures announced by the Israeli army, 586 of its officers and soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, including 246 who were killed since the start of the ground offensive on Oct. 27.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive, now in its 152nd day, on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 30,700 Palestinians have since been killed and over 72,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’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.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala