The Israel Defense Forces, in a statement, announced that First Sergeant Ariel Lubliner, aged 34, from the army’s 36th Division, was killed in Saturday’s clashes in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to Sky News, with Lubliner’s death the number of Israeli soldiers killed since 7 October has, by the IDF’s official count, reached 900.
A day prior to Lubliner’s death, several security incidents occurred in eastern Gaza City. Israeli media reported that a number of soldiers were killed and wounded in those events.
According to IDF statistics, since 7 October 2023, the casualties include: 329 soldiers on 7 October itself; 456 in ground operations in Gaza; 50 in attacks on Lebanon; 34 in Hezbollah attacks; 16 in clashes in the West Bank; 2 in a drone attack by Iraqi militias; 1 in a missile attack by Iran; and 12 in other incidents and confrontations.
However, some sources believe that Netanyahu’s government deliberately underreports the true number of casualties in order to manage psychological pressure within Israeli society.
Since Israel’s assault on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, approximately 63,000 Palestinians have been killed and 159,000 wounded, the majority being women and children. More than 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza have also gone missing during this period. Hunger and malnutrition have additionally claimed the lives of 322 Palestinians, including 121 children.
