Israeli army's casualties rising in Gaza war Netanyahu's office rejects two-state solution

The Israel Defense Forces have published the names of 571 soldiers, officers, and reservists — many of whom are local security officers — killed during the ongoing war with Palestinian terrorists since October 7, mostly on the border with the Gaza Strip, with at least 233 during a ground offensive in the Hamas-run territory.

Meanwhile, the Israel Police has listed 58 officers who were killed confronting the terrorists on the Gaza border, an officer killed in a terror attack in Jerusalem, and two other officers killed during clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank, The Times of Israel reports.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed as Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched a war on Israel on the morning of October 7, infiltrating towns, rampaging through military positions, shooting travellers dead on roads and in their homes, and firing thousands of rockets at a wide swath of the country in a shocking assault.

Terrorists also dragged 253 civilians and soldiers into Gaza.

Eleven soldiers and reservists have also been killed in attacks claimed by the Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups on the border with Lebanon since the fighting started. Two soldiers were killed in West Bank terror attacks.

The military’s list also includes a soldier killed by friendly fire in the West Bank, a soldier killed due to malfunctioning ammunition on the Lebanon border, two soldiers killed in a tank accident in northern Israel, and a number of other deadly incidents amid the war but not directly related to the fighting.

Meanwhile, Avi Hyman, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, rejected on February 15 the initiation of a peace plan with the Palestinians based on the two-state solution, saying that "now is not the time to be speaking about gifts for the Palestinian people."

During a CNN press briefing, Hyman was asked about a report by the Washington Post that the Biden Administration and "a small group of Middle East partners" are working to formulate a comprehensive peace plan, which "could be announced as early as the next several weeks." The plan includes a timeframe for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

An Israeli political source confirmed the report, and the fact that Israel is aware of the efforts being made in the United States on the matter.

"Here is Israel, we're still in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre," Hyman said. "Now is the time for victory – total victory against Hamas. And we will continue on the path to victory. All discussions about the day after Hamas will be had the day after Hamas."

Some of the points being discussed in the plan, as per the report, are Israel's withdrawal from many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the rebuilding of Gaza, and the continued oversight and governance of the West Bank and Gaza.

Moreover, US President Joe Biden warned in a new call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday against Israel launching an operation on the Gaza Strip city of Rafah without a plan to keep civilians safe.

"The President... reiterated his view that a military operation should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians in Rafah," a readout of the call from the White House said.