The death toll for Israeli soldiers continues to grow. Nearly 400 members of the Israeli security forces were killed on October 7. Since the Israeli Defense Forces invaded Gaza, at least over 150 soldiers have been killed.
After several revisions, Tel Aviv now says about 1,050 Israelis were killed during the October 7 Hamas attack, including 373 soldiers. Following the Hamas assault, Israel devastated Gaza with a ruthless bombing campaign, then deployed the IDF into the Strip. The ground invasion has led to the deaths of 164 Israeli soldiers, according to the Times of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The Israeli Defense Ministry said that 3,000 soldiers have been wounded in combat. Some media outlets have reported the current wounded count is far higher, 5,000. An expert speaking with the Associated Press estimates the number will be about 20,000 once cases of PTSD are diagnosed.
A source in Middle East Eye lays out whey the IDF casualty count could be much higher than publicly acknowledged:
Another Palestinian source close to Hamas, who fought with the group until 2021 when he sustained an injury, told MEE that Qassam fighters were engaged in urban fighting reminiscent of the house-to-house fighting seen in the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004 following the US-led invasion.
"What is happening now in Gaza is a kind of guerrilla war," the source said.
"It is unnecessary and risky to mobilize a force of thousands for this war. For hit-and-run operations, fast, few-man teams are enough. These teams are also very small in terms of targets and minimize casualties," the source added.
While Israel has caused death and devastation across Gaza, it is unclear how much success Tel Aviv has had in wiping out Hamas. At the end of November, the IDF reported killing 1,000–2,000 Hamas fighters.
Over the past month, Tel Aviv has increased its assertion to 7,000 members of Hamas killed. The group reports losing about ten percent of its members, or approximately 3,000 fighters.
Footage shows Israeli military helicopter UH-60 Black Hawk, also known as Yanshuf, aborting an attempt to evacuate wounded soldiers in Gaza.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 29, 2023
The video was aired on Israel's Kan11 where they said the helicopter managed to escape and released flares to divert incoming projectiles. pic.twitter.com/ZUI8ckUWA3
The Israeli operations appear to be having a far greater impact on the civilian population of the besieged enclave. Over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 8,000 children. Additionally, Israel has destroyed the medical, food, water, and sewage infrastructure of Gaza, putting the Palestinian people on the brink of epidemic and famine.
