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3 Israeli soldiers killed, 24 wounded in Gaza

06 January 2009 07:38 (UTC +04:00)

According to reports, a force from Golani’s 13th Battalion came under heavy mortar fire in Saja’iya and entered a nearby home for cover.
Mistaking the force for Hamas, an IDF tank fired at the home. A shell hit the building which collapsed on the force. Three soldiers were killed and of the 24 wounded, one was in critical condition and another three were in serious condition. The other 20 casualties, including Col. Avi Peled, commander of the brigade, and Lt.-Col. Oren Cohen, commander of a battalion, were lightly-to-moderately wounded.
Israeli army tried to conceal the reports on casualties, but had to confirm the fact after the parents of the servicemen gave information to media.
Meanwhile, another 12 IDF soldiers were wounded throughout the day in exchanges of fire with Hamas gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip. They were evacuated for medical treatment.
Israel carried out large-scaled ground operation in Gaza Strip on January 5. Witnesses say blasts and shooting lasted for a few hours. Nothing is exactly known about the casualties of HAMAS.
According to some reports about 100 HAMAS members had been killed in the military operations by December 27.