News Desk
GAZA: The Israeli military has confirmed the deaths of four soldiers who were killed on Monday in combat in the northern Gaza Strip, specifically in the Jabalia refugee camp. The soldiers, all young men in their twenties, were identified as Staff Sergeants Or Katz, Nave Yair, Gary Lahler Zolt, and Ofer Eliyahu. These soldiers were part of the Samson Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, a unit heavily involved in the ongoing operations against Hamas in Gaza.
According to preliminary reports, the soldiers were struck by an anti-tank missile while taking shelter inside a building during fierce fighting, marking yet another significant loss for the Israeli military in its efforts to secure territory and engage Hamas fighters in Gaza. The deaths of these four soldiers bring into sharper focus the increasingly deadly nature of the conflict, with hostilities escalating by the day. The Israeli army has also reported the death of Major (Retired) Itamar Levine Friedman, who lost his life in a separate anti-tank missile attack in Jabalia, further illustrating the growing dangers faced by Israeli forces operating in the area.
These casualties are part of a much larger toll in the current military operation, which has seen heavy fighting since ground operations were launched in Gaza on October 27. The cumulative toll on Israeli military personnel has been staggering. Since the beginning of the conflict, 369 Israeli soldiers have been killed, with the total number of soldiers who have died since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 now standing at 783.
