The number of Israeli military personnel killed since the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has now reached 279, according to a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces. This shocking figure was announced on Saturday evening, with the IDF attributing the deaths to a sudden attack by Hamas, as reported by Haaretz.
The publication highlights that there are currently 126 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip. On October 14th, the Israeli Defense Forces revealed that they had conducted a drone strike on Hamas militants who had launched an anti-tank missile near the Gaza Strip. This came after Hamas forces fired thousands of rockets into Israeli territory on October 7th, initiating their operation named “Flood of Al-Aqsa.” Thousands of militants infiltrated Israeli territory, seizing dozens of military vehicles and over a hundred hostages. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared the country to be in a state of war.
The Israeli Defense Forces’ counter-operation, codenamed “Iron Swords,” aims to destroy Hamas. The Israeli Air Force has conducted strikes on hundreds of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli National Security Council has decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the region. On October 13th, Israel informed the United Nations that 1.1 million Palestinians must evacuate to the south of Gaza within 24 hours in preparation for a ground operation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Netanyahu urged residents of the Gaza Strip to evacuate. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in conflict, with no immediate resolution in sight.
