The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the beginning of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has reached 279, Israeli media reported on Saturday, citing the Israeli Defense Forces.
The number of people taken hostage and held in the Gaza Strip has reached 126, the Haaretz newspaper added.
On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to declare a state of war the following day and launch retaliatory strikes. On Monday, Israel ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel. Both Israel and Palestine have reported over 1,000 deaths and thousands of injured as a result of the escalation.
