IDF Death Toll Rises to 18

With 13 IDF casualties overnight and throughout the day on Sunday, the IDF’s death toll since the launch of the ground operation rose to 18.

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz: “We remain determined to reach our objectives.” (Photo: Flash90)

Overnight and throughout the day on Sunday, 13 soldiers from the IDF’s elite Golani Brigade were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF is currently completing the identification process. When this process ends, pending on the families’ consent, names will be made public.

All the families, as well of the injured soldiers’, have been notified.

The soldiers were killed in multiple incidents over the past 24 hours. The most deadly incident occurred at 1:05 a.m., when an anti-tank missile hit the armored personnel carrier and seven soldiers were killed.

More than 60 others were wounded overnight, including Rasan Alian, the Golani Brigade commander.

“We understand that in battle, some are killed. But we know that this is our job and this is what we’re doing,” said IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. “The battles in some of these areas are both complex and difficult and despite that we remain determined to reach our objectives” in Operation Protective Edge.

Gantz also noted the progress of the operation, saying: “Terrorists are hit, infrastructure is hit and destroyed in every area we enter.”

IDF soldiers standing at terror tunnel exit. (Photo: IDF)

In fact, IDF forces detected and detonated six terror tunnels both in the Gaza Strip area and in Israeli territory. “The tunnels pose an imminent threat to the safety of Israeli civilians living in communities along the Gaza Strip border; therefore the IDF operates in order to destroy them,” according to the IDF spokesperson’s unit.

“Since the beginning of the ground phase of the operation the IDF engaged and killed 110 terrorists and targeted 1,032 terror sites, 341 of which were targeted since this morning,” the statement continued. “Among the sites that were targeted were: rocket launching facilities, command and control headquarters, and underground rocket launchers.

Terror Tunnels Resemble Underground City

“In addition, the IDF along with the ISA targeted today the head of the Hamas observation alignment in the Gaza Strip.”

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner clarified: “Since the beginning of the ground phase of the operation, the IDF has exposed 14 tunnels headed towards Israel, all intended to infiltrate Israel and carry out terror attacks. It’s like the ‘Underground’, the ‘Metro’ or the ‘Subway’. These tunnels are all connected. I would describe it as ‘Lower Gaza’.”

Written by: United with Israel Staff