An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed earlier in the day in the northern Gaza Strip, the military announced overnight Monday.
The soldier was identified as Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion, from Harasha.
An initial IDF investigation has found that Chirak was accidentally killed by friendly fire. According to the probe, combat engineers operating under the 401st Armored Brigade had located a tunnel shaft in northern Gaza and were preparing it for demolition. Chirak, who was standing near the tunnel, was struck by fire from another company tasked with securing the area.
“Sergeant Yosef Yehuda Hirak was accidentally killed by fire from our forces while he was inspecting a tunnel shaft with other fighters,” the IDF confirmed in a statement. The military has presented his family with the initial findings.
A total of 857 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on the northwestern Negev.
