(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Israeli media claims that at least 10,000 soldiers have been killed or injured since the conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted in October last year.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth, 1,000 Israeli soldiers are transferred to the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense each month due to injuries sustained during fighting in Gaza.
“The Israeli Ground Forces are facing a shortage of 10,000 soldiers who have been killed or injured due to the prolonged military campaign in the Gaza Strip,” the renowned Israeli newspaper reported, as cited by international media agencies.
The newspaper, which interviewed the mother of an Israeli soldier, noted that the current situation facing Israeli soldiers is unprecedented in the country’s history.
The number of Israeli soldiers injured as a result of the Gaza conflict reaches 20,000 when including those suffering from mental disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
This information was revealed by Edan Kleiman, head of the Israeli Veterans Organization, earlier this year.
Kleiman, who was also injured while serving in Gaza in the 1990s, told the Associated Press that he had never seen the intensity of warfare in Gaza as experienced by Israeli soldiers today.
“We need to rehabilitate these soldiers. The Israeli authorities do not realize the seriousness of the problem we are facing now,” he said, predicting that more Israeli soldiers will be injured due to the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Last month, the Hebrew-language Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that approximately 500 Israeli military armored vehicles have been damaged by Palestinian fighters since the Gaza conflict began in October last year.
The newspaper stated that several dozen of these damaged armored vehicles are beyond repair and have been decommissioned from military service.
Maariv also reported that Israeli soldiers responsible for transporting these vehicles to the Gaza Strip are physically and mentally strained.
“If the Israeli soldiers are called to fight in southern Lebanon, they will be there, but they will not be in good condition,” the newspaper stated.
Meanwhile, a group of 30 Israeli military leaders, known as the General Staff Forum, reported that the Israeli military is now facing various shortages after fighting Hamas fighters for about nine months since last October.
The Israeli military is experiencing shortages of ammunition and spare parts for tanks, bulldozers, and armored vehicles compared to the previous situation.
Most Israeli tanks operating in the Gaza Strip do not carry sufficient ammunition because the military is trying to conserve tank ammunition for potential warfare with Hezbollah, according to two Israeli soldiers quoted by the New York Times. — DSA