On Tuesday, the IDF announced that Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Vladimir Loza, 39, of the 5th Brigade’s 7020th Battalion, from the southern city of Ashkelon, was killed while fighting Hamas in Gaza.
The death toll among Israeli troops stands at 451 since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27, 2023, and 895 across all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, according to official IDF data.
“IDF troops, directed by Southern Command and guided by the Military Intelligence Directorate and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), continue to operate against terrorist groups throughout the Gaza Strip” the IDF said on Tuesday afternoon.
The IDF website reported that 17 soldiers are currently hospitalized in serious condition, 148 in moderate condition, and 16 in light condition.
Since the beginning of the war, 3,678 have been lightly wounded, 1,518 have been moderately wounded, and 912 have been seriously wounded. In total, 6,108 IDF soldiers have been wounded since the war began.
Of the 451 IDF soldiers killed since the start of Operation Swords of Iron, at least 77 (approximately 17%) died in such operational accidents.
- 31 were the result of friendly fire
- 28 involved weapons or ammunition mishandling
- 7 stemmed from military vehicle accidents
- Fire deviations caused 6
- 5 were linked to work-related incidents or weather conditions
