Israel Defense Forces Lt. Ori Gerlic, 20, from Meitar, near Beersheva, was killed in action in the southern Gaza Strip, the military announced on Saturday night.
Gerlic served as a platoon commander in the Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Infantry Brigade.
According to Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster, Gerlic was killed in an “operational accident” in the city of Khan Yunis. He was reportedly seriously wounded when an Israeli explosive device detonated under unclear circumstances. Despite efforts to save him in Gaza and later at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, he succumbed to his wounds.
The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27, 2023, stands at 455, and at 899 on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, according to official IDF data.
The Security Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to approve plans for the IDF takeover of Gaza City, an operation dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II.”
Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi on Sunday welcomed the government’s decision to take over Gaza City, calling it a necessary step to defeat Hamas.
“Five goals were decided upon—the fourth one was total security control over Gaza. This is really a good step in the right direction, because there is no real option to defeat this enemy except by controlling the Strip,” Halevi told JNS.
He warned that as long as Hamas maintains control over territory, resources and the population, it will rebuild its terror network.
“If this war does not end with Hamas capitulating, it will be a catastrophe, it will have awful consequences not only for the region but all over the world—more kidnapping, more hostage situations and more terror attacks. Islamic groups will understand that they can defeat Western society, and it is impossible to let this happen,” added Halevi.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Aug. 14 outlined his government’s parameters for ending the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The five conditions for victory are the full disarmament of Hamas; the return of all 50 remaining hostages; the demilitarization of the entire Strip; security control of Gaza; and establishing “an alternative civilian administration” in the enclave.
“I believe this is the right thing to do, and if it leads to the return of the hostages, it is the best course. I trust the prime minister and the IDF,” Likud Knesset member Sasson Guetta told JNS on Sunday.
“I believe it is also good to maintain the hostage negotiations but manage them from a point of strength and let Hamas know that if they don’t return the captives, we will conquer all of the Strip,” he continued.
Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv on Sunday also praised Israel’s advance in Gaza City, saying it’s “not only the right step, it’s an excellent step to lead to Hamas’s surrender.”
Gotliv added that Israel should simultaneously move to declare sovereignty over northern Gaza. “The step that needs to be taken at the same time is the announcement of the annexation ... so we hurt the enemy in his language, and we draw a picture of victory against those who value land more than lives,” she told JNS.
Addressing the ongoing hostage talks, Gotliv dismissed Hamas’s intentions. “Voices are saying that Hamas is agreeing. This is another attempt to gain time. The murderous terror organization knows that the entry of our fighters into Gaza City will severely harm it. That’s why we hear this,” she said.
“We shouldn’t conduct negotiations at this time at all. We should wait for Hamas to beg and return all our kidnapped, categorically, all at once,” she added.
