The commander of the Israeli army's elite Egoz reconnaissance unit was seriously wounded in fighting on Monday morning in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Yediot Ahronot reported late Monday, Anadolu Agency reported.
The report, which did not give the name of the commander, said the army approved the publication of the news.
Since July 7, Israel has pounded the embattled coastal enclave with fierce air and naval bombardments with the stated aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.
On Thursday night, Israel stepped up its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled Palestinian territory.
At least 573 Palestinians have been killed - mostly civilians - and more than 3400 injured in the unrelenting Israeli attacks on the besieged coastal enclave.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli army said it lost 25 troops only in the ongoing operation in Gaza, noting that 90 more soldiers were wounded in Gaza battles.
Israel's military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip - which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians - within the last six years.