Israeli army says soldier killed in fighting in southern Gaza

Another Israeli soldier was killed in fighting with Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip, the army announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Israeli army identified the slain soldier as Sgt. Ira Yair Gispan, 19, from the 7th Armored Bridge's 75th Battalion.

The death brings the number of troops killed since the start of onslaught in the blockaded enclave to 621.

Israel has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year that claimed 1,200 lives and took another 250 as hostages.

The conflict has reduced much of the territory to rubble, pushing 85% of the region's 2.3 million population into internal displacement, and created conditions of famine.

The military last week also launched a "precise" operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city home to more than 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge from war.

According to estimates by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since May 6.