The Hebrew Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said “The renewal of the war in Gaza over a month ago, after the ceasefire, and the plan to expand it …. is incurring significant costs”, adding that the Israeli occupation army is already discussing the need for a substantial budget increase of approximately $2.6 billion.

Earlier this week, hundreds of Israeli Air Force (IAF) soldiers signed a letter slamming the military offensive in Gaza, saying it “serves mainly political and personal interests, not security interests,” while calling for the return of captives and adding that this can only be achieved through a ceasefire and not by military means.

“The [Israeli] occupation army carried out 1,475 attacks, while settlers carried out 230 attacks,” Moayad Shaaban, who heads the official Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, said in a statement.

In a statement, Civil Defence spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, said 75 of the victims were killed in Israeli air strikes on two homes in Beit Lahia, while the others were targeted in Jabalia and other areas of northern Gaza.

The Civil Defence issued a statement: “According to the initial damage assessment, more than 25 kilometres of Jenin’s city and camp streets and neighbourhoods were completely destroyed by the occupation forces during their operations in the city.”

“In this black August, some 15 Israeli soldiers were killed in battles in Gaza and the north (with Lebanon), and this is the price of a war of attrition,” reported the daily.

Lebanon’s official news agency reported that two Civil Defence ambulances were damaged by Israeli shells in Wadi Hamoul, without causing any casualties.

“Despite our full commitment to stop the aggression on our people, we are prepared for a long war of attrition with the enemy,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a video message.

“More than 100,000 artillery shells have been fired since the start of the ground manoeuvre,” the army said in a statement.

The officer, whose name has not been made public, will remain in custody until Tuesday when an investigation will confirm if he is suspected of "serious sex offences."

The Lebanese army said in a statement that members of the Lebanese armed forces took "combat positions" in front of an Israeli army bulldozer and forced it to stop work after it had breached the Blue Line for a distance of two metres near the town of Kfar Kalla, in southern Lebanon.

A Ministry statement said Rayyan Suleiman, from the town of Tuqu near Bethlehem city, had fallen from a height while running away from Israeli soldiers.