Tel Aviv, Jan 10 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced the death of another soldier in the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, taking the total number of troopers killed in the ground offensive to 189. The military identified the deceased soldier as Sgt. First Class (res.) Nitzan Schessler. The 21-year-old Schessler from Hadera, was in the the 55th Brigade's 7155th Battalion. He was killed in a battle in southern Gaza, where two soldiers were also injured. Of the two injured soldiers, one is from Schessler's battalion and the other one is deployed with the Combat Engineering Corps' 603rd Battalion The IDF has now intensified its ground offensive, which was launched on October 27, 2023, on central and southern Gaza as most of the northern part of the Hamas-controlled enclave is under its control. /IANS