4 more Israeli soldiers killed in battles in southern Gaza - army

The Israeli army on Sunday said that four more soldiers, including an officer, were killed in fighting with Palestinian groups in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the army said that the deceased included Capt. Ido Baruch, 21, Sergeant Amitai Even Shoshan, 20, Sergeant Reef Harush, 20, and a young senior sergeant, Ilai Zair, 20.

The latest fatalities bring the army's death toll to 604 since it launched its offensive against the strip on Oct. 7, 2023 while 3,193 Israeli soldiers were injured, according to army data.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, said Saturday that its members killed 14 Israeli soldiers in separate confrontations in Khan Younis.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack in early October by Hamas killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 33,100 Palestinians have since been killed and over 75,800 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, which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.