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A soldier was killed during fighting in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on May 17, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced.
The slain soldier was serving in the ranks of the Paratroopers Brigade’s signals company. The IDF didn’t clarify where or how exactly he was killed. His death has brought the toll of Israeli troops killed in ground operations in Gaza to 280. More than 1,500 others have also been wounded in the Strip, so far.
On the same day, the IDF reported “intense” and “ violent” clashes in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, with many engagements, both above ground and by fighters from the Hamas Movement and other Palestinian armed factions using tunnels.
The IDF launched an operation in Jabaliya earlier this month, and it claims that it has so far killed 200 Palestinian fighters there.
Heavy fighting was also reported on the same day in the so-called Netzarim corridor in central Gaza and the area of Rafah in the southern part of the Strip.
Videos released during the day by Hamas’ military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and that of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the al-Quds Brigades, showed a series of attacks on IDF’s troops, vehicles and positions in Jabalia, Netzarim corridor and Rafah.
Separately, the IDF announced on May 17 that the bodies of three Israeli hostages had been successfully recovered from Gaza.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari named them as Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk. He said that the bodies were recovered in an overnight operation in the Strip carried out by the military and Shin Bet.
It is believed that 125 hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7 surprise attack remain in Gaza -not all of them are thought to be alive- after 105 civilians were released from captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.
Three hostages have been allegedly rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 15 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the IDF.
The IDF has so far failed to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Hamas is also still very much in control of the Strip.
The Israeli war on the Strip has so far claimed the lives of 35,303 Palestinians and left more than 79,261 others wounded, according to the latest update by the Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the victims were women and children.
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