2 more Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting: Army

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and one officer seriously injured in battles in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Friday.

A military statement said Adar Gavriel, 24, was killed in battles in the northern Gaza Strip, while Yehonatan Elias, 20, was killed and an officer from the Givat patrol was seriously injured in battles in the southern Gaza Strip.

With the latest fatalities, the death toll of Israeli soldiers killed since the outbreak of the Gaza war since Oct. 7, 2023 climbed to 644, according to official military figures.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,200 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 81,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.