The Times of Israel reported on Monday that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the deaths of three additional soldiers during combat in the southern Gaza Strip, raising the total number of soldiers lost in the ground offensive against Hamas to 104. An explosive device in the Khan Younis area killed these soldiers. Four more soldiers were hurt in the incident, one of whom was critically injured. Information released by the IDF states that since the ground invasion began on October 27, about 600 IDF members have been injured.
In parallel, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah disclosed that, between October 7 and December 9, at least 17,700 Palestinians have died in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The ministry, citing sources from the Hamas-controlled enclave, highlighted that 70 per cent of the casualties comprised children, women, and the elderly, as reported by CNN.
Meanwhile, in a show of solidarity with Gaza, Lebanon implemented a nationwide closure of all government offices and public institutions on Monday. Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the closure, stating it was in response to the global call for Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and the Lebanese border villages.
The IDF on Monday said that they identified “a number of launches” from Lebanon toward Israel on Monday, with Israel’s air defences intercepting six launches. The IDF stated that it is striking the sources of the launches. This development follows the previous day’s incident where several Israeli soldiers were wounded in northern Israel due to fire from Lebanon, according to CNN.