31 Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire in Gaza ground war: Report

At least 31 Israeli soldiers have been killed by friendly fire during the ongoing ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Army Radio reported Friday.

According to the broadcaster, 72 soldiers have died in total due to “operational incidents” since Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, representing about 16% of the 440 Israeli soldiers killed in ground operations.

The breakdown of operational deaths includes 31 killed by friendly fire, 23 in ammunition-related incidents, seven run over by armored personnel carriers, and six in unspecified shooting incidents, the report said.

Since the resumption of Israel’s military assault on Gaza on March 18, two soldiers have been killed in operational incidents out of 32 total deaths recorded during that period, according to the broadcaster.

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Five additional deaths were attributed to workplace accidents, including falls and mishandling of engineering tools, Army Radio added. One of those incidents occurred Thursday night, though no further details were provided.

Israeli military data shows 882 soldiers have been killed and 6,032 injured since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has continued its genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 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 over its actions in the enclave.

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