Israel has paid a heavy price and lost army officers and troops in Gaza, says chief of staff

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces has said that the occupation state has paid a heavy price in the war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the army has lost officers and enlisted soldiers during the military operation.

General Herzi Halevi made his comments during a speech at the graduation ceremony of the 148th course of naval officers. He pointed out that the war began at a difficult stage, but since then the Israeli army has acted with determination.

“The Israeli army has been operating at sea, on land and in the air for more than 150 days on several fronts, achieving significant accomplishments every day towards meeting the goals of the war,” he said. “However, alongside the many achievements in the war, we have paid a heavy price and lost officers and troops.”

Enlisting in the military, added Halevi, is the only way to ensure that the deaths of soldiers in war weren’t in vain.

Aside from the many hundreds of soldiers who have been wounded, the death toll of the Israeli occupation forces stands at around 600 officers and soldiers to date.

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