Gallant hails the achievements of the bitter battle, but says it is taking a heavy toll. Communications in Gaza are again cut as air and ground operations continue over night.

Israeli authorities reported early on Wednesday that 11 soldiers had been killed in combat deep within the Gaza Strip. This brings the total death toll for the day to 13. Leaders warned of the heavy toll being paid by troops as they strive to eliminate Hamas.

Israel Defense Forces reported that Israeli forces continued to strike targets from the air and ground overnight and Wednesday, killing dozens members of the terrorist group. Airstrikes pounded Jabaliya overnight, a Hamas-held stronghold outside of Gaza City.

The IDF reported that seven soldiers of the Givati Infantry Brigade Tzabar Battalion, who were inside a Namer armored personal carrier when it was struck by a Hamas anti-tank missile were killed. Four other soldiers were also injured in the incident, one of them seriously.

Adi Danan, 20, from Yavne; Staff Sgt. Adi Danan (20) from Yavne, Staff Sgt. Halel Solomon (20) from Dimona, Staff Sgt. Erez Mishlovsky (20) from Oranit, Staff Sgt. Adi Leon is 20 years old and from Nili. Cpl. Ido Ovadia (19 years old) from Tel Aviv, Cpl. Lior Siminovich (19), from Herzliya, and Staff Sgt. Roei Dawi is a 20-year-old Jerusalem resident.

Ariel Reich (24), from Jerusalem, and Cpl. Asif Luger (21), from Yagur, was killed when the tank they were riding in struck an explosive device. Two other soldiers were also seriously injured in the same incident. The IDF reported that a soldier from Givati’s Rotem Battalion suffered a serious injury in separate clashes against terrorists in Gaza Strip.

Both the local authorities and family members confirmed that Staff Sgt. Roi Sargosti, from the Ramat Hanagev Regional Council. The IDF did not confirm the deaths, as it usually waits until all families are notified.

Mark was born in the West Bank settlement Otniel. He was the son Rabbi Michael Mark who was murdered by a West Bank gunman during a shooting attack on the West Bank in 2016. In that attack, he was only moderately injured.

The IDF announced on Tuesday evening that Staff Sgt. Roei Wolf, 20, of Ramat Gan and Staff Sgt. Lavi Lipshitz (20) from Modiin and Roei Wolf, 20), both of whom served in the reconnaissance unit of the Givati Infantry Brigade, were killed. The army announced early on Wednesday that two soldiers died after an RPG struck a building in which they were both located.

The high casualty rate underscored the dangers soldiers face as they shift to fraught urban warfare in Gaza’s busy streets following weeks of punishing air campaigns. Urban combat zones are thought to be riddled with bombs, booby-traps, and tunnels that terrorists use to ambush and surprise troops.

The loss of IDF troops in battles against Hamas terrorists is a serious and painful blow,” Defense minister Yoav Galant wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning. He sent his condolences the families of those who died.

“Our significant victories in the fierce fighting deep inside the Strip have taken a heavy price, much to our regret,” he said. He also vowed that Israel would be ready for a complex and long operation.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has vowed that Israel will continue its war against Hamas in spite of the deaths.

We have made many great achievements but also suffered painful losses. “We know that each of our soldiers is a world,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli air power continues to cover troops and tanks fighting inside the enclave. The IDF reported that overnight Tuesday, ground forces ordered the Air Force strike a building near Jabaliya, where Hamas operatives had gathered. The IDF said that ground forces in Gaza’s northern region spotted an anti-tank missile car driving towards them and ordered an aircraft to attack it.

The army reported that forces, including ground troops had struck dozens Hamas targets over night.

It said that the Air Force has also conducted strikes against Hamas’ command centers and terror cells.

The IDF announced Wednesday that since the start of the war some 11,000 sites owned by Hamas or other terrorist groups had been destroyed.

The fighting continued, and Palestinians in Gaza were again plunged into a blackout of communications on Wednesday morning. This was just days after the service had been restored due to US pressure.

The Associated Press reported early on Wednesday that the Palestinian telecom companies Paltel and Jawwal had experienced a blackout in communication.

NetBlocks.org, a group that advocates for internet access, confirmed that Gaza is “in the middle of a near-total or total telecoms blackout.”

The disruption coincided with a blackout that was imposed between late Friday and early Sunday, coinciding with the entry of a large number of ground troops in Gaza at what Israel described at the time as a “new stage” in the war.

The US media reported the initial blackout ended only after White House pressured Israel into restoring the networks.

Israel has not made any comments on the blackouts.

A journalist from AFP in Gaza confirmed that communications had been lost, but added that his phone was still receiving a signal since he used an international SIM card.

A second AFP journalist reported that only those with Israeli or Egyptian telephone lines can still use their mobile phones in the border city of Rafah.

Blackouts prevented IDF from releasing any details about the fighting, and also restricted entry into and exit from Strip.

Israel’s recent ground offensive comes after weeks of punishing strikes. The conflict began on October 7 when 2,500 terrorists, led by Hamas, crossed the border from Gaza Strip into Israel by land, sea and air. They killed 1,400 people, and took at least 245 hostages.

As terrorists took over border communities, the vast majority of victims were civilians. This included babies, children and elderly people. Families were killed in their own homes and more than 260 people were murdered at an outdoor event, often during horrific terrorist acts.

Hamas’ health ministry claims that more than 8,500 have died in the enclave. This figure cannot be independently verified. Hamas is accused of inflating death tolls artificially and does not differentiate between terror operatives and civilians. The terror group responded by releasing a list of unverified names that it claims represent the dead. Some of the victims are believed to have been killed by Palestinian terrorists who misfired their rockets.

The IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, described the fighting on Tuesday evening as “complex combat in close quarters.”

Hagari said that the troops were fighting the terrorists with courage and heroism. “This is an extremely dangerous conflict. He said that it had a cost. It is complex but it is not difficult.