Israeli soldier dies in Gaza conflict as death toll hits 342

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced the death of a soldier during ongoing clashes with the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip.

Staff Sergeant Yohay Hay Glam, 32, from Battalion 6310 of the Jerusalem Brigade, was killed in combat in central Gaza, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

This brings the total number of IDF soldiers killed since the start of the ground operation in Gaza and along the border to 342.

Earlier this week, Master Sergeant Shlomo Yehonatan Hazut, a 36-year-old from Hod Hasharon, was killed by an explosive device in the central Gaza Strip. In the same incident, a reserve soldier from the 9207th Battalion of the 16th Brigade was seriously wounded.

According to IDF records, 704 soldiers have been killed since the start of the war.

On October 7, 2023, tensions in the Middle East sharply escalated when militants from Hamas, a radical Palestinian group based in Gaza, launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory. Hamas framed the assault as retaliation for what they described as Israeli aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.

In response, Israel declared a state of war readiness and imposed a comprehensive blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million Palestinians. The Israeli military initiated air strikes targeting the Gaza Strip, as well as parts of Lebanon and Syria, and began a ground operation within the enclave. The conflict has also spread to the West Bank, where clashes are ongoing.