JERUSALEM

The Israeli army announced on Sunday that two more of its soldiers were killed and another four injured with serious wounds during ground battles in the Gaza Strip.

The two personnel were aged 23 and 21, serving in the elite Givati Brigade.

With the announcement, the number of Israeli troops killed in Gaza on Sunday reached five.

Earlier, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian group Hamas, said it killed a “large number” of Israeli soldiers in the southeast of Gaza City.

There are conflicting reports on the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the ground operation in the besieged enclave on Oct. 27. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari on Saturday put the number of troops killed since Oct. 7 at 378.

Israel started its aerial bombardment of Gaza after the cross border attack by Hamas last month.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala