The Israeli Army Is Suffering Some Of Its Most Severe Losses In Years

Armin Rosen

Jul. 21, 2014, 6:26 PM

So far, 25 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the first four days of ground operations in Gaza.

This equals over one-fifth as many as the 121 Israeli soldiers killed during the 2006 Lebanon War, widely remembered as one of the worst debacles in the history of the Israeli military. It's more than the 22 Israeli soldiers killed during the 2002 battle in the Jenin refugee camp.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-israeli-army-is-suffering-severe-losses-2014-7#ixzz38BVbJ4jz

Only 25?

Nine IDF soldiers killed, death toll rises to 27

The Israel Air Force killed 35 members of two Gaza families in separate strikes Monday, raising number of Palestinian fatalities to 508.

By Gili Cohen , Amira Hass, Amos Harel and Jack Khoury | Jul. 22, 2014 | 3:43 AM

Nine IDF soldiers were killed Monday, the 14th day of Operation Protective Edge, including four killed by terrorists who infiltrated Israel from Gaza through a tunnel that emerged near Kibbutz Nir-Am.

The casualties brought the Israel Defense Forces death toll to 27 since the ground operation began last week.

The Israel Air Force killed 35 members of two Gaza families in separate strikes, near Khan Yunis on Sunday night and in Rafah Monday morning, according to witnesses. Also killed in the earlier air strike was Ahmed Sahmoud, 34, a known member of Hamas’ military wing, and the presumed target of that attack.

The four IDF soldiers killed near Nir-Am were: Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, 38, of Modi’in; Sgt. Nadav Goldmacher, 23, of Be’er Sheva; Warrant Officer Baynesain Kasahun, 39, of Netivot; and 1st Lt. Yuval Heiman, 21, of Efrat.

With the death toll on both sides mounting, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the region to try to help bring about a cease-fire. The two met in Cairo on Monday.

Netanyahu vowed Monday that the operation will expand until its goals are achieved. “The IDF is advancing on the ground according to plans, and the operation will continue to expand until its goal is achieved – restoring the calm to Israeli citizens for a long time,” he said after a meeting with Ya’alon, Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and the commander of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman.

The incident in which the four IDF soldiers were killed near Nir-Am occurred at about 6:30 Monday morning, when at least 10 Palestinians entered Israeli territory from the tunnel and split into two groups, one tried to make its way to Kibbutz Erez and the other to Kibbutz Nir-Am. The terrorists were wearing IDF uniforms, which confused the commanders in the field and led them to seek positive identification. Photos from airborne drones showed the “soldiers” were carrying Kalashnikov rifles, which are not used by the IDF, at which point the field commanders realized they were terrorists and opened fire. One of the cells, however, managed to fire an anti-tank missile at the military jeep carrying Keidar and his men, killing them on the spot.

During the firefight several of the terrorists tried to backtrack and make their way back to the Strip through the tunnel before the air force blew up the tunnel’s exit.

Nine bodies were later found, and the IDF believes that the rest of the terrorists succeeded in returning to Gaza.

The IDF believes the infiltrators were members of a Hamas force that was specially trained for this mission. In a video that documented the incident distributed by the IDF Spokesman one can see the terrorists were wearing regulation army boots, camouflaged helmets, and even had rubber bands tightening their trouser legs, making them look just like IDF soldiers.

Three Golani Brigade soldiers were killed in two different incidents early Monday morning in Gaza City’s Sujaiyeh neighborhood. In the first incident, Staff Sergeant Jordan Ben Simon, 22, of Ashkelon, was killed, apparently by misdirected IDF fire.

In the second incident, Staff Sgt. Tal Ifrach, 21, of Rishon Letzion, and Staff Sgt. Yuval Dagan, 22, of Kfar Sava, were killed in a firefight.

According to the IDF, since the ground operation began last week, 14 whole tunnels were exposed, and another 45 tunnel shafts were discovered, some of them in private homes and mosques. Hamas, the army said, has over the past decade considerably upgraded its tunneling capabilities; whereas in the past the tunnels were relatively short and 10 meters underground, the average tunnel depth today is 25 meters. Hundreds of thousands of man hours have been invested in tunnel construction, the army said.

Earlier Monday, the IDF released the names of six of the 13 soldiers who had been killed overnight Saturday and Sunday morning. They are: Master Sgt. Moshe Malko, 20, of Jerusalem; Maj. Tsafrir Bar-Or, 32, of Holon; Capt. Zvika Kaplan, 28, of Kibbutz Meirav; Sgt. Oz Mendelovich,21, of Atzmon, Sergeant Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, a lone soldier from Texas who lived in Ra’anana; and Sgt. Gilad Yaakobi, 21, of Kiryat Ono.

The Gaza fatalities on Monday included 25 members of the Abu Jama’e family, who lived east of Khan Yunis, and 10 members of the Siyyam family in Rafah.

The home of the Abu Jama’e clan is a complex of eight apartments that houses the extended family. Fighter jets blew up the home on Sunday night while the family was eating its Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast. Palestinian rescue workers labored throughout the night to rescue the wounded and retrieve the bodies.

From preliminary investigations by B’tselem and the Palestinian Center for Human rights, the attack was apparently not preceded by any warning, not even a “knock on the roof” missile. In addition to Sahmoud, the dead included a woman of 60, one of her sons, four of her daughters-in-law and 19 grandchildren aged four months to 14 years. Two of the women were pregnant.

In Rafah, the Siyyam home was bombed Monday, after morning prayers and the start of the fast. The strike also wounded 25 people.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the IDF fired four warning missiles in the general vicinity of the Siyyam home; one landed in their garden, one hit a neighboring family, the Zuarovs, and the third and fourth hit the house of Ahmed Abu Sanima and wounded him. None of the three families knew which of the families the missiles were meant to warn.

The Siyyam family, however, began to evacuate its home on the assumption the warning was meant for them. The moment they left the house, a fifth missile landed right on them. Two men, their wives, and six children aged 9 months to 15 years were killed.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the number of Palestinian fatalities during Protective Edge is 508, among them 69 women and 130 children.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.606531/1.606531

experimentist: Only 25?

even if it is only 1, the difference is on the israeli side it is soldiers (combatants) who are being killed while on the palestinian side it is innocent civilians who are being massacred by israel's army. they will target neighborhoods from the air, knowing fully well that civilians will perish, and then blame it on hamas for firing rockets. they possibly just want the palestinians to fold their arms and watch their lives and property and land ripped apart and do nothing, or may be, they want the palestinians to abandon their land and move- so they can build their illegal settlements on palestinian land. when it comes to confronting the palestinians on the ground, the israeli army flops big time. saturday night was one of the deadliest in gaza after 15 israeli soldiers were killed. israel took vengeance on the poor civilians of gaza.

Israel finds Hamas are no longer amateur fighters

By Ben Wedeman, CNN
July 22, 2014 -- Updated 0917 GMT (1717 HKT)

"...What is significant now is that Hamas fighters appear to be better trained, with a new set of skills that I don't think Israel anticipated. One Israeli soldier who came out of Shaja'ia was quoted in an Israeli publication that Hamas is fighting like Hezbollah, which waged a successful guerrilla war against Israel's occupation in the 1980s and 1990s, and inflicted high casualties on Israeli forces during the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon...."

Read More:http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/21/world/meast/israel-gaza-qa/

Onyocha:

even if it is only 1, the difference is on the israeli side it is soldiers (combatants) who are being killed while on the palestinian side it is innocent civilians who are being massacred by israel's army. they will target neighborhoods from the air, knowing fully well that civilians will perish, and then blame it on hamas. they possibly just want the palestinians to fold their arms and watch their lives and property and land ripped apart and do nothing, or may be, they want the palestinians to abandon their land and move so they can build their illegal settlements on palestinian land. when it comes to confronting the palestinians on the ground, the israeli army flops big time. saturday night was one of the deadliest in gaza after 15 israeli soldiers were killed. israel took vengeance on the poor civilians of gaza.

Imagine! Cowardly dogs... What is the US doing about the innocent civilians that are being killed by these fvckers?!

I don't know why, well the palestinians should be ready oo because no one touches Israel and go scot-free, I know they would take 25 lives for one Israeli soldier.

IDF releases name of IDF soldier killed Tuesday in Gaza: Staff Sergeant Eviatar Turgeman, 20, from Beit She'an. Turgeman is the 28th soldier killed in Gaza. (Haaretz)

Two Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday evening in fighting in Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit says. The deceased are Capt. Dmitri Levitas, 26, of Jerusalem and Geshur and Capt. Natan Cohen, 23, of Modiin. They were both officers in the IDF armored corps. They were killed by sniper fire in the Gaza Strip. Over the last 24 hours, three soldiers were seriously wounded, nine were moderately wounded, and eight sustained light wounds. Since the Gaza operation began, 29 soldiers and officers were killed. (Haaretz)

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.606735

Israel military fatalities stand at 32 since the operation commenced. 134 soldiers are currently hospitalized due to wounds incurred in the fighting, and one soldier is missing. The IDF has not announced the loss of any soldiers since Wednesday.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.606934

I'm not surprised by the amount of Casualties Israel has suffered, CQB and conducting anti-terrorism campaigns in mostly urban areas aint a joke, its fu'cking hard to fight militants you sometimes use human shields, or are basically dressed like the civilian population, rebels hide within civilian communities and its almost impossible to tell the two apart, ambushes and hit and run tactics are what's killing Israeli Soldiers.

Helghast: I'm not surprised by the amount of Casualties Israel has suffered, CQB and conducting anti-terrorism campaigns in mostly urban areas aint a joke, its fu'cking hard to fight militants you sometimes use human shields, or are basically dressed like the civilian population, rebels hide within civilian communities and its almost impossible to tell the two apart, ambushes and hit and run tactics are what's killing Israeli Soldiers.

yeah..... The cowards use women and children as human shields but a man's responsibility is to protect his women and children but vice versa here.......Pussies that is what they are......heglash i have seen some of your SADF photos.......nice ones

these censors here changes Pu$$ie$ to kittycats....wtf?

Early on Sunday, an Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed by a mortar shell near the Gaza border. Two other Israeli soldiers who were previously wounded in the fighting died of their wounds on Saturday evening. The latest incidents bring the IDF death toll to 43.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607348

Hamas: We killed 90 Israeli troops

Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:52PM GMT


Al-Qassam Brigades, which is the military wing of Hamas, says Palestinian resistance fighters have killed at least 90 Israeli soldiers over the past 20 days.

Palestinian fighters say over 90 Israeli forces have been killed in the ongoing offensive against the besieged Palestinian enclave. Based on Israeli media reports, at least 142 soldiers are in hospital, one of them in critical condition.

The Israeli army also says 43 soldiers have died since July 8.

Also on Sunday, at least one Israeli soldier was killed by a shell fired from the Gaza Strip.

This is seen as the heaviest loss of life for the Israeli military in years

Israel has kept tight reins on media outlets with regards to the exact number of Israeli soldiers captured or killed during its ongoing assault on the besieged coastal enclave.

The rising death toll of Israeli forces during the ongoing assault on Gaza Strip has prompted growing opposition to the war among the Israeli public.

Thousands of Israelis have rallied against Tel Aviv’s war on the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators from left-wing and anti-war activists gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square despite police calls urging them not to attend the rally.

They carried banners reading “End the Occupation” and “Stop the Massacre in Gaza”. They also chanted slogans against Israeli officials for what they called dragging Israel into repeated wars and military actions.

At least four demonstrators were arrested after they tried to block a nearby street.

More than 1060 Palestinians have so far been killed and over 6000 wounded since the Israeli military first launched its onslaught on the Palestinian enclave on July 8.

JR/AB/SL

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/07/27/372993/hamas-claims-to-kill-90-israeli-troops/

charlos14:


yeah..... The cowards use women and children as human shields but a man's responsibility is to protect his women and children but vice versa here.......Pussies that is what they are......heglash i have seen some of your SADF photos.......nice ones

yeah true man I say F**K Hamas dude, they are cowards man... And thanx dude you should try Checking out that 'Who has the strongest military in Africa' thread there are some really good pictures of the SANDF & SADF, but I'd advise you not to comment there, there are a lot of irrational thinking people on that thread

CNN
Israeli soldiers killed

Three more Israeli soldiers were killed Wednesday, bringing the total to 56 dead since Operation Protective Edge began July 8. Three civilians also have been killed in Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said the soldiers were uncovering a tunnel shaft in a home in southern Gaza. "The house and the tunnel were booby trapped with two explosive devices that were detonated," the IDF said.

Hamas said its fighters "lured a special Zionist unit which consisted of between 15 to 20 soldiers to a booby-trapped house with 12 IED canisters."

Twenty-seven Israeli soldiers were wounded in several incidents Wednesday in Gaza, the IDF said.

By Haaretz | Aug. 1, 2014 | 5:26 PM

Indications suggest an Israeli soldier has been taken captive by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesman said Friday at noon, hours after a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas collapsed after holding for less than two hours.

Mortar shells fired from within the Gaza Strip landed near a border-region town some two hours after the truce deal brokered by the United States and the EU kicked in, and shortly thearafter Palestinian medical sources reported that at least 25 Gaza residents were killed and dozens of others wounded by IDF artillery fire directed at the southern Strip.

The names of the five Israeli soldiers killed by Palestinian mortar fire near the Gaza Strip border were released by the IDF. The number of Israeli military fatalities now stands at 61.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.608331

We've been hearing the number of israeli soldiers and civilians killed. We also hear of the number of Gazans killed but can anyone tell us the number of Hamas fighters killed? How comes we don't hear that or does it mean israeli soldiers only kill civilians?

Meanwhile the military arm of Hamas said they don't know the whereabout of the said israeli soldier.