Israeli military sees first fatality in week of strikes

GlobalPost

The Israeli military saw its first fatality in a week of conflict when a soldier in southern Israel was killed Tuesday.

GlobalPost's Noga Tarnopolsky, in Israel, reported that the soldier was identified as Joseph Partuk, 18. The Associated Press reported that the soldier was killed by a rocket attack.

Three Israeli civilians were killed from strikes last week and another died Tuesday, while 129 Palestinians have died, according to the AP.

The numbers of Israeli casualties have been kept down in part by the Iron Dome, a rocket-defense system that Israel developed with the help of US funding. Over 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel this week, the IDF told the AP. 

The IDF confirmed the death on Twitter Tuesday afternoon: 

GlobalPost's correspondent in Israel said that a Bedouin who was gravely wounded Tuesday in Ashkelon has also died, at Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva. 

The victim's name has not been released, but he is reportedly an employee of the Ministry of Defense who was hit by IDF shrapnel.

More from GlobalPost: Gaza: The conflict heard round the world

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