A soldier from Israel Defense Forces (FDI) died after becoming infected with a mysterious strain of fungus during ground fighting in the Gaza Strip, Hebrew channel Kan reported on Tuesday (26).
The young soldier had been hospitalized at the Assuta Ashdod Medical Center in Israel for two weeks. He was taken to hospital with serious limb injuries. According to the Kan report, the boy was treated in intensive care, but the fungus proved resistant to treatment and caused injuries to his body.
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According to doctors, around ten soldiers are said to be infected with the same deadly fungus. They are being treated in Israel. The information was confirmed by the President of the Infectious Diseases Association and former director of the Infectious Diseases Department at Sheba Hospital, Galia Rahab.
“Medical experts have exhausted all possible treatment options, including experimental therapies from abroad,” Rahab explained. “But they failed to stop the progression of the fungus in the soldier’s body, leading to organ failure.”
Learn about the mysterious fungus that killed the soldier
Doctors believe that the origin of the fungus lies in soil contaminated with sewage Gaza Strip. The infection occurs through injuries sustained by soldiers in ground combat. Due to local conditions, wounds on the battlefield cannot be disinfected.
According to Rahab, these fungal strains have not been found in previous wars, raising concerns about their origins and resistance. The doctor announced that studies are being carried out to determine a connection between the fungi and the networks of Hamas tunnels in Gaza.
The Infectious Diseases Association will hold an emergency meeting next week in collaboration with IDF epidemiology experts to investigate the fungal outbreak.
The IDF has not yet released an official statement on these cases of dangerous fungal infections among injured soldiers in Gaza.