Israel announces 2 more soldiers killed in Gaza, bringing ground op toll to 139

The army announces that two more troops were killed fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll in Israel’s ground offensive against the terror group since late October to 139.

The soldiers are named as:

Sgt. First Class (res.) Tal Shua, 31, of the Kiryati Brigade’s 7071st engineering battalion, from Beersheba, was killed during fighting in southern Gaza on December 21, The Times of Israel reports.

Lt. Shai Ayeli, 21, of the elite search and rescue Unit 669, from Ashkelon, was killed in fighting in northern Gaza on December 21.

In addition, the military says a reserves soldier and two other soldiers were seriously injured in battles in northern and southern Gaza.

Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on December 22 that Israel will have to transition to “lower-intensity operations” as its military campaign continues, and the sooner, the better.

“We are not dictating terms and timelines to the Israelis,” Kirby said.

“We have certainly talked about the importance of moving to lower-intensity operations. And obviously, we don’t want them to do it sooner than they think they can do it safely and effectively,” he said. “But we do believe — we believe that a transition in the near future is the best possible outcome.”

Kirby said that in a military campaign, tactics evolve as objectives are reached, and that Israel has said it will move to a lower intensity of operations. The U.S. has offered assistance in sharing its own lessons in past military actions, he said.