Another Israeli soldier killed in Gaza gun battle

ISTANBUL

The Israeli army on Wednesday announced the death of another soldier during a gun battle in Gaza.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Yehonatan Malka, 23, of the army's armored brigades from the southern Beersheba area was killed in fighting in Gaza.

The new death brings the Israeli army death toll to 409 since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

Late on Tuesday, Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said the army has moved to the third phase of its ground operation as it intensified attacks on southern Gaza.

Lt. Col. Yochai Gur Hershberg, 52, who was tasked with locating missing persons, was killed in a road crash in southern Israel, the report added.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Palestinian territory on Friday after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

At least 16,248 Palestinians have been killed and more than 43,616 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara