When asked if media claims about the five deaths that were earlier revealed in an official statement were actually the result of Israeli fire, a military spokesperson responded, “Yes,” to AFP.
Five soldiers have been killed in the northern Gaza Strip, where fierce fighting has returned after more than seven months of Israel’s battle against Hamas militants, the Israeli military announced earlier on Thursday.
The army released a statement on Wednesday stating that the troops were killed “in battle,” although it did not specify what caused their deaths.
With these most recent deaths, 278 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in the Gaza military campaign since the ground offensive began on October 27.
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Fighting has raged in recent days in northern Gaza, with an Israeli army spokesman saying there were “attempts by Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities” months after Israel had declared the Palestinian armed group’s command structure in the area dismantled.
Fierce battles and heavy Israeli bombardments have been reported in north Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp and the central Nuseirat camp since the army launched a “targeted” operation focusing on the southern city of Rafah in early May.