JERUSALEM, May 21 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli soldier was killed and another wounded during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday, as its ground offensive intensified across the enclave.
The soldier was killed during Operation Gideon's Chariots, a new Israeli military campaign launched on Saturday, which officials say is set to expand further.
The military identified the soldier as Staff-Sergeant Danilo Mocanu from the seventh Armored Brigade's 82nd Battalion. According to an initial probe, he died when a building collapsed after an explosive device was detonated. Another soldier sustained light injuries in the incident.
The death toll of Israeli soldiers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 has reached 858, with 5,892 injured, according to Israeli military figures.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the military said it conducted a joint strike with the Shin Bet internal security agency, killing Mohammad Shahin, identified as a fighter of Nukhba Forces from Hamas' East Jabalia Battalion.
Shahin reportedly infiltrated Israel during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in about 1,200 people killed and 251 others taken as hostages. Israeli security officials have vowed to target all militants involved in that attack.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 115 locations across Gaza in the past day, including militant sites, rocket launchers, military structures, and tunnels, the military said.
Among the targets was the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, according to the Gaza health authorities. The authorities said three electric generators and fuel tanks at the hospital were bombed, forcing it out of service.
The attacks on generators are "exacerbating the catastrophic situation in hospitals" across the strip, which are suffering from a severe shortage of fuel and spare parts for generators, the health authorities added.
Israel has rejected international calls to end the offensive, vowing to defeat Hamas and, during the process, bring back the 58 hostages still held in Gaza. At least 53,655 people have been killed, with 121,950 injured, since the Israeli offensive began 19 months ago, according to the Gaza health authorities on Wednesday. ■
