Tel Aviv, Dec 27 (IANS): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced the death of three of its soldiers in the Gaza strip. This brings the toll of the killed soldiers since the start of the ground offensive in October to 161.
The deceased have been identified as Maor Lavi (33), Shay Shamriz (26), and Shaul Greenglick (26).
Lavi was killed in central Gaza while Shamriz and Greenglick were killed in the northern part of the Strip.
An officer and two soldiers were seriously wounded in the battle in northern Gaza Strip while a soldier was seriously wounded in the same battle.
Also, a soldier was seriously hurt in northern Gaza.
The heavy fighting in Gaza has left more than 20,000 Palestinians dead, including women and children. The fight is intensifying in central and southern Gaza with the IDF almost disarming major Hamas military structures in the northern Gaza Strip.