Israel military identifies 9 soldiers killed in Gaza

Tel Aviv, Nov 1 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has identified nine of its troopers killed in the Gaza Strip amid the military's ongoing ground offensive in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

The deceased soldiers were identified as Lt.Aerial Reich, Corpl Asif Luger, Sgt Adi Dunan, Staff Sgt Halel Solomon, Staff Sgt Elel Mishlovsky, Staff Sgt Adi Leon, Col Ido Ovadia, Cpl Liol Simnovich and Staff Sgt Roei Dawi.

On Tuesday alone, 11 Israeli soldiers were killed.

Since the Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on October 7, at least 326 members of the Israeli military have lost their lives.

The IDF also said that since the ground offensive was launched on October 27, several Hamas terrorists were killed.

During the airstrike on the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday night, the military claimed that it "eliminated Ibrahim Biari, Commander of Hamas' Central Jabaliya Battalion. Biari was one of the leaders responsible for the murderous terror attack on October 7".

"The strike damaged Hamas’ command and control in the area and eliminated a large number of terrorists who were with Biari. Additionally, underground terrorist infrastructure collapsed following the strike," the IDF said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Jabalya is the largest of the Gaza Strip's eight refugee camps, according to the UN.

According to  IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus Biariwas “pivotal to the planning and the execution of the October 7 attack”.

“He was actively coordinating, orchestrating, and leading combat activities against the IDF as he was targeted,” CNN quoted Conricus as saying to reporters.

The IDF spokesperson said that Biari’s activities go back to before 2004 when he “masterminded” an attack in Ashdod that led to the killing of 13 Israelis.