JERUSALEM 

The Israeli army on Friday announced that another soldier was killed and four others seriously injured in fighting in the central Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the military identified the killed soldier as Sgt. First Class Evyatar Atuar, 24, of the army's 6,310th Battalion.

The soldier's death brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the Israeli ground operation in Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023 to 333, while total army deaths since the launch of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023 jumps to 696.

Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar