The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday that 17 of its soldiers have so far been killed in Gaza, where it recently ramped up air and ground attacks.
It said in a statement that two soldiers succumbed to the wounds they sustained during ground operations, pushing up the death toll.
Clashes and direct confrontations between the Israeli army and fighters of Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian group Hamas which carried out a surprise cross border attack in Israel on Oct. 7, have escalated, particularly at the Erez crossing, the border point between northern Gaza and Israel, since Tuesday.
