Total Israeli army death toll in Gaza conflict climbs to 387 With Palestine's reaching 13,000

The total losses of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) since the day of the October 7 attack by militants of the Palestinian radical Hamas movement on the country have reached 387.

The IDF reported the loss of two more soldiers on the November 20 morning in battles with radicals in the northern Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reports, citing the IDF press service.

During the ground operation in the enclave, the Israeli army has lost more than 60 soldiers in battles with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip since Oct. 27.

As for the Palestinian casualties, the death toll in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has reached 13,000, including over 5,500 children and 3,500 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said on November 19.

The number of injuries has exceeded 30,000, with more than 75 per cent of them being children and women, it said in a statement.

The administration said the number of missing persons crossed 6,000, with most of them suspected of lying under the rubble of the fallen buildings.

It said the number of completely destroyed mosques was 83, while 166 of them were damaged. Three churches were also targeted.

More than 43,000 housing units have been completely demolished, while 225,000 have been damaged. This means 60 per cent of the residential units in the Gaza Strip were affected by the bombardment, according to the statement.

The authority said 25 hospitals and 52 health centres have also gone out of service since the attacks were launched. Israeli forces also targeted 55 ambulances, while dozens of ambulances are out of action due to a lack of fuel.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group had fired 1,000 munitions at Israel since October 7, warning that Tehran was intensifying its attacks against the Jewish state.

The comments came as Hezbollah launched more rocket and missile attacks and instigated drone infiltrations at northern Israeli communities Sunday, undeterred by the stormy weather, leading Israeli forces to respond against targets belonging to the terror group in Lebanon.

“Iran is the root of hostility and aggression against the State of Israel. The war is multifront, even though its intensity is focused on Gaza,” Gallant said.

“Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has fired more than 1,000 munitions at Israeli targets but suffers far more significant harm. We’re thwarting [missile and rocket] squads and hitting military assets and targets, Hezbollah pays a heavy price every day,” he said.

He also said that in the West Bank, “there are many attempts to carry out terrorist attacks against Israelis that are thwarted every day by the IDF and the Shin Bet.”

In addition, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Peter Lerner has demanded an apology from the British broadcaster BBC for reports claiming there was no evidence of the use of Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip by militants of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.

He pointed out that during the raids, the Israeli military found a 50-metre tunnel with a reinforced armoured door under the hospital, as well as firearms, communications equipment and a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.

“We expect the World Health Organization to condemn this... Will the BBC World Service apologize? Will Jeremy Bowen say I was wrong? Lerner wondered.

Last week, BBC editor Bowen said he doubted the Israeli army had evidence that Al Shifa Hospital was a Hamas headquarters. He also noted that journalists allegedly cannot move freely throughout the Gaza Strip and those who are there are forced to work under the supervision of the IDF.

It was also reported that the Israeli artillery was intensively shelling an Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip.

Many of its patients and refugees have been wounded as a result of the heavy artillery shelling. In addition, at least one medical worker was injured after a shell exploded in the courtyard of the medical facility.

Moreover, it became known that the Palestinian movement Hamas has resumed contacts with Israel through Qatari mediators on the release of hostages who were seized by the group's militants on 7 October.

The publication notes that Israeli officials confirmed that the Palestinian movement has indeed resumed contacts with Qatari mediators who are negotiating with the Israeli side on a prisoner exchange agreement for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli war cabinet is currently discussing the proposed deal.