IDF announces death of Sgt. First Class (res.) Maoz Fenigstein, raising soldier's death toll to 132

Sgt. First Class (res.) Maoz Fenigstein, 25, was killed in action on the Gaza Strip on December 19, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday announced the death of another soldier who was killed in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of slain troops in the Israel-Hamas war to 132, the Times of Israel reported. 

The soldier was identified as Sgt. First Class (res.) Maoz Fenigstein, 25, of the 551st Brigade's 7008th Battalion, from Susya. His family was notified. 

"The IDF shares the family's grief," the military said in a statement.

The Israeli military has suffered more casualties as its ground operations in the Gaza Strip continue. The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, after Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel's south and massacred more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel has vowed to eradicate the terrorist group's governing and military capabilities in response.

The Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry claims that nearly 20,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli military operations, however that number cannot be independently verified. Hamas does not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.