Israeli soldier killed during army offensive in Jenin, northern West Bank
At least 705 Israeli soldiers killed since Oct. 7, according to army figure
JERUSALEM
One Israeli soldier was killed during a military offensive in the city of Jenin in the occupied northern West Bank, the army said Saturday.
In a brief statement, the army said that Elkana Navon, 20, was killed during the ongoing military operation in Jenin.
"The slain soldier, from Petah Tikva (central Israel), was a squad leader in Battalion 906,” the statement added.
The new fatality has brought the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since Oct. 7 to 705, including 339 in ground battles in Gaza, according to the army.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army launched a major operation in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as in the Al-Fara refugee camp near Tubas, killing 22 Palestinians, according to Palestinian figures.
Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.
At least 675 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.
In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.