Israeli soldier killed in southern Gaza blast, army says

An Israeli soldier was killed in the southern Gaza Strip, the army said on Saturday, as Tel Aviv continued its destructive offensive on the Palestinian enclave.

A military statement said a platoon commander in the Kfir Brigade's Shimshon Battalion was killed by an Israeli explosive device during operations in Khan Younis.

The army said it is investigating the cause of the blast, without giving details about the circumstances of the soldier's death.

According to official figures, at least 899 soldiers have been killed and 6,196 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Israel has killed over 62,600 Palestinians in a brutal onslaught in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.