JERUSALEM: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in a clash with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday.
Kalkidan Mehar, 37, and Ido Aviv, 28, were killed “in a battle” in the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, said in a statement via Telegram that the soldiers were killed in two separate ambushes, one in the Al-Mughraqa area in the central Gaza Strip and the other in the “Netzarim axis,” a zone that separates the northern and southern Palestinian enclave.
The Al-Qassam Brigades said that several other soldiers were wounded in the attack, whereas Israel said that one other soldier sustained serious injuries.
The latest casualties bring the number of Israeli soldiers killed to 263 since the start of Israel’s ground operation in Gaza on Oct. 27, while the army’s total deaths since the launch of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza on Oct. 7 jumped to 608.
