Israeli army says 3 more troops killed in Gaza fighting

ANKARA

The Israeli army on Tuesday said three more soldiers were killed in overnight fighting with Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said in a statement, cited by the Times of Israel news website, that four soldiers were also seriously wounded in the fighting in northern Gaza.

The deceased personnel, including two soldiers and one officer, belonged to the 188th Armored Brigade's 53rd Battalion.

On Monday, the Israeli army said in separate statements that five of its soldiers were killed in battles in northern and central areas of Gaza.

The new deaths bring the army's death toll since the start of the Israeli ground operation in Gaza on Oct. 27 to 78 and its total toll since Oct. 7 to 406.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Friday after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

At least 15,899 Palestinians have been killed and more than 42,000 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.