IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari on Tuesday morning issued a statement saying, “21 reservists were killed in the fighting in the center of the Gaza Strip. The names of ten of them have been allowed to be published so far. The rest of the names will be updated in the next few hours.”
Monday saw the most difficult incident of the war so far when two buildings collapsed on IDF soldiers near the border fence in the center of the Gaza Strip. The forces entered the buildings and planted mines inside intending to blow them up. Hamas terrorists fired an RPG at them and at a nearby tank, the activated mines exploded, and the buildings collapsed with the fighters inside. The rescue efforts continued for long hours into the night, with the help of special rescue units that were rushed to the scene.
A reserve battalion under the command of the Southern Brigade occupied the Kissufim sector in recent weeks and, among other things, engaged in security missions under the Gaza Division. On Monday, the battalion worked to expose the El Muazi area, some 600 meters from the fence in central Gaza, as part of establishing a new, wider border perimeter for the protection of the Gaza envelope communities.
There was a cluster of 10 buildings slated to be demolished using mines by Corps of Engineering units. Toward the end of the operation, at four in the afternoon, terrorists fired an RPG at two connected buildings where the fighters were deploying the mines. At the same time, another RPG was fired at a tank that was standing nearby to secure the fighters, killing two of the soldiers inside.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Tuesday morning: “On this difficult and painful morning when the terrible message reaches many homes in Israel, our hearts are with the dear families in their most difficult time. This is a war that will determine the future of Israel for decades to come – the fall of the fighters commands us to achieve the goals of the war. I send my condolences from the bottom of my heart to the families of the fallen in the campaign and wish for a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
The names that have been cleared for publication are:
Major General (res.) Matan Lazar, 32 years old, from Haifa, a fighter in Battalion 6261, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Major (ret.) Hadar Kapeluk, 23 years old, from Mevo Beitar, class commander in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, was killed in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Sergeant-Major (res.) Sergey Gontmaher, 37 years old, from Ramat Gan, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Elkana Yehuda Sfez, 25 years old, from Kiryat Arba, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Maj. (res.) Yoval Lopez, 27 years old, from Alon Shavut, a fighter in Battalion 9206, Brigade 205, was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Yoav Levi, 29 years old, from Yehud-Monoson, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Maj. (res.) Nicholas Berger, 22 years old, from Jerusalem, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major (ret.) Cydrick Garin, 23 years old, from Tel Aviv-Yafo, a fighter in the 8208th Battalion, 261st Brigade, was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major General (res.) Rafael Elias Mosheyoff, 33 years old, from Pardes Hana-Karkur, a fighter in Battalion 6261, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major General (res.) Barak Haim Ben Valid, 33 years old, from Rishon Lezion, class commander in Battalion 6261, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Ahmad Abu Latif, 26 years old, from Rahat, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Captain (res.) Nir Binyamin, 29 years old, from Givatayim, a combat officer in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Elkana Vizel, 35 years old, from Bnei Dekalim, class commander in the 8208th battalion, 261st brigade, was killed in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Israel Socol, 24 years old, from Samaria, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, was killed in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Captain (res.) Ariel Mordechay Wollfstal, 28 years old, from Elazar, a combat officer in Battalion 9206, Brigade 205, fell in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Major (res.) Sagi Idan, 24 years old, from Rosh Haayin, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Major Mark Kononovich, 35 years old, from Herzliya, a fighter in Battalion 8208, Brigade 261, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Itamar Tal, 32 years old, from Mesilot, a fighter in the 261st Brigade’s 6261st Battalion, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Adam Bismut, 35 years old, from Karnei Shomron, a squad commander in the 261st Brigade’s 6261st Battalion, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shay Biton Hayun, 40 years old, from Zichron Yaakov, a fighter in the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Daniel Kasau Zegeye, 38 years old, from Yokne’am Illit, a fighter in the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
In addition to the 21 reservists killed in this incident, 3 officers from the 202 paratroopers brigade, Captain Eyal Mevorach Twito, Major David Nati Alfasi, and Major Ilay Levy, were killed in battle in Gaza, earlier on Monday.
221 IDF soldiers have fallen since the land operation began after October 7th.
