Israeli army says seven soldiers killed in Gaza
Israel's army on Wednesday said seven of its soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza, where the war with Palestinian militant group Hamas continued.
The army's website listed the names of five soldiers and a platoon commander from the same battalion who 'fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.'
It added that a seventh soldier was also killed, but his family had not given permission for him to be named.
More than 430 Israeli soldiers have died in the war, triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
The militants also seized 251 hostages -- 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,077 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
The territory of more than two million people is suffering from famine-like conditions after Israel blocked all supplies from early March to the end of May and continues to impose restrictions, according to rights groups.
After Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir said focus would now shift back to Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
36 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel's Leviathan Gas Field to Resume Operations
Israel's NewMed said on Wednesday the Leviathan natural gas field that supplies gas to Egypt and Jordan, shut down nearly two weeks ago due to the Iran-Israel conflict, would resume operations in the next few hours. Two of Israel's three gas fields - Chevron-operated Leviathan and Energean's Karish - off its Mediterranean coast that provide the bulk of exports to Egypt and Jordan have been shut since June 13. That left in operation only the older Tamar field, used mainly for domestic supplies. Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday. Israel's Energy Ministry said that after a security assessment, Energy Minister Eli Cohen had ordered the opening of Leviathan and Karish, Reuters reported. The ministry said resuming regular operations at the rigs will "enable the supply of natural gas to all customers", the resumption of gas exports to neighboring countries, a rise in state tax revenues, and greater flexibility in managing the electricity and industrial sectors. Leviathan, a deep-sea field with huge deposits, came online at the end of 2019 and produces 12 billion cubic meters of gas per year for sale to Israel, Egypt and Jordan. That will rise to some 14 bcm in 2026. In addition to Chevron and NewMed, Ratio Energies is also a partner in Leviathan.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
World Bank to Finance Syria with $146 Million to Restore Electricity
The World Bank approved a $146 million grant to help Syria restore reliable, affordable electricity and support the country's economic recovery, it said in a statement on Wednesday. 'The Syria Electricity Emergency Project (SEEP) will rehabilitate damaged transmission lines and transformer substations and provide technical assistance to support the development of the electricity sector and build the capacity of its institutions,' it said. After 14 years of war, Syria's electricity sector has been suffering from severe damage to its grid and power stations, aging infrastructure, and persistent fuel shortages. "Among Syria's urgent reconstruction needs, rehabilitating the electricity sector has emerged as a critical, no-regret investment that can improve the living conditions of the Syrian people, support the return of refugees and the internally displaced, enable resumption of other services such as water services and healthcare for the population and help kickstart economic recovery," said World Bank Middle East Division Director Jean-Christophe Carret. "This project represents the first step in a planned increase in World Bank support to Syria on its path to recovery and development,' he added. According to the World Bank statement, the SEEP will finance the rehabilitation of high voltage transmission lines, including two critical 400 kV high-voltage interconnector transmission lines damaged during the conflict, restoring Syria's regional connectivity to Jordan and Türkiye. The project will also repair damaged high-voltage transformer substations near demand centers in the most impacted areas that host the highest number of returnee refugees and internally displaced people and provide necessary spare parts and maintenance equipment. In addition, the SEEP will provide technical assistance to inform the country's key electricity sector strategies, policy and regulatory reforms, and investment plans for medium to long term sustainability. It will also provide capacity building support to the electricity sector institutions to implement these strategies and reforms.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran's Parliament Approves Bill to Suspend Cooperation with IAEA
Iran's parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reported. The move, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks. The parliament speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale." He said that "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program." Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA. Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
