1704140544 Israel Hamas conflict 17 of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza

Israel Hamas conflict: 17% of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza were killed by their own army

Of the 170 IDF soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, 29 were killed on the ground due to errors made by their army.

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Published on January 1, 2024 7:31 p.m

Reading time: 1 minOn December 5, 2023, the Israeli army positions a tank unit not far from Kibbutz Beeri, very close to the border with the Gaza Strip.  (RAPHAEL GOTHEIL / HANS LUCAS)

On December 5, 2023, the Israeli army positions a tank unit not far from Kibbutz Beeri, very close to the border with the Gaza Strip. (RAPHAEL GOTHEIL / HANS LUCAS)

Israel warns: The war against Hamas will continue all year long. Almost three months after the attack by the Palestinian Islamist group and the start of fighting, hostilities continued throughout the day on Monday, January 1st. We learn that of the 170 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, 29 deaths were caused by their own army.

In other words, 17% of Israeli soldiers killed were the result of mistakes made by the Israeli army on the ground. In detail, almost two thirds of the deaths, 18 in total, are related to “friendly fire”, shots from their own camps, two to unusual fires and nine to accidents: tanks ran over soldiers who had not seen collapsing walls or mistakes in handling them explosives.

From total war to war of attrition

According to the Israeli army, between three and six soldiers have died every week since the offensive began following the Hamas attacks on October 7th. A message that stands out while the government insists: the conflict is not over yet. According to military experts, it will certainly be a war of attrition rather than an all-out war. The Israeli army spokesman also announced on Sunday, December 31, that reservists would be given real breaks to prepare for prolonged combat operations.

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