The army announces three more troops were killed fighting Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll in Israel’s ground offensive against the terror group to 137.
The soldiers are named as:
Sgt. Lavi Ghasi, 19, from Hashmonaim, an infantryman in the Nahal Brigade’s 931st Battalion.
Lt. Yaacov Elian, 20, from Ramat Gan, a cadet in the Bahad 1 officers school’s Gefen Battalion who was previously was a Givati squad commander.
Lt. Omri Shwartz, 21, from Shadmot Dvora, a cadet in the Gefen Battalion who was previously a soldier in the Paratrooper Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion.
According to the IDF, an officer and two other Gefen cadets were seriously hurt in the incident in which Shwartz and Elian were killed.
The army also says another five soldiers were seriously hurt during battles in Gaza: Two from the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion, one from the Oketz canine unit, an officer in the 460th Armored Brigade’s 532nd Battalion, and a reserve soldier in the Kiryati Brigade’s 9218th Battalion.
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