5,000 Israeli soldiers wounded in Gaza war: report

Over 5,000 Israeli soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the war on Gaza, with 2,000 officially recognised by Israel’s Ministry of Defence as disabled, according to a report by the daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The report added that around 60 new wounded soldiers are registered daily by the Israeli military’s Rehabilitation Department, which only accounts for members of the security forces and army reservists and does not include the regular army, indicating numbers could be much higher.

The Israeli government has been tight-lipped about the extent of army casualties during the invasion of Gaza, with accusations of a wartime crackdown on the free press by the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Official Israeli government communications have claimed that just over 200 soldiers have been injured during the invasion.

“We have never experienced anything similar to this. More than 58% of the wounded we receive have serious injuries to their hands and feet, including amputations,” Limor Luria, deputy director general and head of Israel's Ministry of Defence's Rehabilitation Department, told Yedioth Ahronoth.

“About 12% of injuries are internal consisting of damage to the spleen, kidneys, and rupture of internal organs,” Luria said.

“About 7% suffer from psychological distress, a number we know will rise sharply,” the official added.

The New Arab was unable to verify the numbers reported by the Israeli outlet.

On Wednesday, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported that hundreds of Israeli soldiers have suffered severe eye injuries, with some losing vision in one or both eyes.

KAN's  report added that at least 40 soldiers have hospitalised at Bersheeba's Soroka Medical Center since October 7 with severe eye injuries.

At least 420 members of the Israeli army and security forces have been killed since October 7, with 93 killed during the invasion of Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

So far 17,487 Palestinians have been killed and 46,480 people injured, the vast majority of whom are civilians, since Israel began its onslaught on Gaza.