Another Israeli soldier killed in southern Gaza Strip battle

The Israeli army said on Wednesday that another sergeant in its ranks was killed following clashes in southern Gaza Strip.

Further details on the circumstances of the sergeant's death or the specifics of the clash were not disclosed.

With the latest casualty, Israeli fatalities since the beginning of the war last October has risen to 597 officers and soldiers, including 253 since the start of ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has waged a military offensive in Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people.

More than 32,000 Palestinians have since been killed and has caused mass destruction, displacement and left more than half of Gaza's population in starvation.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.