Israeli Army reports four soldiers killed in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AFP): The Israeli military announced on Friday that four soldiers were killed during operations in Gaza, while also signaling the need for thousands more troops to continue its offensive.

The announcement comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition faces internal pressure over the contentious issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription.

Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (Effie Defrin) stated that the soldiers died during a mission in a Hamas-controlled compound in Khan Yunis.

“Around six in the morning, an explosive device detonated, causing part of the structure to collapse,” said Defrin. Five additional soldiers were wounded in the incident, one critically.

The latest deaths bring the total number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive to 429 since operations began in late October 2023.

In a statement released Friday, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack, warning, “The losses suffered today in Khan Yunis illustrate what the occupation forces will face wherever they are present.” He urged Israeli citizens to pressure their leaders to end the war or be prepared to “receive more of its sons in coffins.”

Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that 38 Palestinians were killed across the territory on Friday, as residents marked Eid al-Adha under the continued shadow of war for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Netanyahu extended condolences to the bereaved families, stating the fallen soldiers “sacrificed their lives for the safety of all of us.”

As the military intensifies its campaign to eliminate Hamas, it faces a significant manpower shortfall. Defrin acknowledged that the army is currently short around 10,000 personnel, including approximately 6,000 in combat positions. He indicated that “tens of thousands more notices will be issued in the upcoming draft cycle.”

The growing personnel gap has reignited the politically sensitive debate over the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews, an issue that threatens to fracture Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. While conscription is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, ultra-Orthodox men have long been exempt, a policy increasingly challenged amid the ongoing war.

The military has framed the need for expanded conscription as an “operational necessity” in the face of prolonged conflict.