More than 10,000 Israeli soldiers have been killed or injured since the start of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, a senior military officer has said, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

The figure includes combat injuries and psychological trauma, although the official toll is far lower.

“We have a shortage of more than 10,000 soldiers who have been killed or injured and a few thousand who repeatedly enter the cycle of post-traumatic stress disorder,” the unnamed officer was quoted as saying.

The officer did not provide specific details or a breakdown of the figure.
According to official figures from the Israeli military, at least 861 soldiers have been killed and 5,921 others injured in the Gaza war since October 2023.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave’s more than two million.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.

(AA/NAN)