Israeli army announces soldier killed, three injured in southern Gaza

The Israeli military has announced that one soldier was killed and three were injured in combat in southern Gaza on Sunday.

The soldier was named as Sgt. First Class Uriel Aviad Silberman, 23, a reservist from the Kiryati Brigade’s 7421st Battalion. An officer and a soldier from the same battalion were seriously injured in the same battle, the army said.

Since Hamas' 7 October attack, a total of 531 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including at least 195 in Israel's ground invasion of Gaza. Israel's army maintains strict censorship over troop casualty numbers, leading to speculation that the army casualties may be higher than official figures.

A report from Israel's Ynet News in December indicated that more than 5,000 Israeli soldiers have sustained injuries since the onset of the war in Gaza, with 2,000 of these soldiers officially recognised as disabled by Israel's Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, US intelligence officials estimate that Israel has killed around 20-30 percent of Hamas fighters in Gaza since 7 October — falling short of Israel's military objective, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Saturday. Despite claiming operational control over several areas of Gaza, Hamas's armed wing have continued to fire rockets into Israel and launch ambushes on soldiers. 

The vast majority of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza have been civilians, according to health authorities in the coastal territory. As of Sunday, the death toll stands at 25,105, with an additional 62,681 people injured.

Despite international calls for restraint amid escalating fatalities and profound suffering among Palestinians, a majority of Israelis continue to support the country's war.

The United Nations reports that the Israeli offensive has led to the internal displacement of 85% of the population in Gaza, resulting in severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.