Israel Defense Forces Master Sgt. (res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum was killed by Hamas in southern Gaza on Tuesday, in a breach of the U.S.-brokered truce with the Palestinian terror group.
Feldbaum, 37, from Zayit Ra’anan in the Binyamin region of Samaria, served as a combat engineering reservist in the IDF’s Gaza Division.
According to Israel’s Army Radio, Feldbaum was killed when “enemy fire” struck his bulldozer during operations in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, which remains under IDF control under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Several minutes after the initial shooting, anti-tank missiles were fired at an armored IDF vehicle, though no casualties were reported.
The incidents reportedly took place as the IDF’s Nahal Brigade was carrying out operations to demolish buildings and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area.
“Together with all the people of Israel, I mourn the fall of Master Sgt. (res.) Effi Feldbaum, who was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip,” stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “My wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to his family and embrace them in their time of grief.
“Effi, of blessed memory, fought bravely against the Hamas murderers and risked his life for the security of Israel. May his memory be blessed and forever cherished,” the premier’s statement added.
Sending his “heartfelt condolences” to Feldbaum’s wife and children, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “The Hamas murderers are paying and will pay a heavy price.
“The entire people of Israel embraces you in this difficult time,” Katz told the slain soldier’s family. “May his memory be blessed.”
The military death toll since the start of the ground offensive in Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, stands at 471, while the total number of Israeli soldiers killed across all fronts since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre has risen to 921.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced Tuesday night that, following a security briefing, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to “carry out forceful strikes in the Gaza Strip.”
In response to Hamas’s ceasefire violations, the military struck terrorist targets in Rafah, including tunnels, Army Radio reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, voiced support for Netanyahu’s response to Hamas’s truce violation.
“They killed an Israeli soldier, so the Israelis hit back, and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” Trump said.
The president warned that “if Hamas does not behave, they will be terminated.”
Speaking earlier, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence that the Oct. 10 truce would hold despite the latest flare-up in fighting.
“The ceasefire is holding. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there,” Vance told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“We know that Hamas, or somebody else within Gaza, attacked an IDF soldier,” the vice president stated. “We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president’s peace is going to hold despite it.”
Overnight Monday, Hamas released additional remains of Israeli hostage Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been returned by the IDF for burial in 2023
The Prime Minister’s Office said that the refusal to hand over a new hostage body “constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization.”
IDF drone footage published by Israeli media on Tuesday afternoon showed Hamas terrorists staging the recovery of Tzarfati’s remains in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Under Trump’s peace plan, the Palestinian terror group committed to handing over all 48 hostages—both living and deceased—on Oct. 13. While the 20 living captives were freed that day, Hamas has been slow-walking the release of the 28 bodies, returning only 15 so far.
