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IDF soldier KIA in Gaza, bringing military death toll to 809

Cpt. Avraham Ben Pinchas, 24. from Harasha in Samaria, served with the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion.

Avraham Ben Pinchas
Cpt. Avraham Ben Pinchas was killed battling Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Dec. 7, 2024. Credit: Israel Defense Forces.

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday night announced the death in Gaza of Cpt. Avraham Ben Pinchas, 24, a platoon commander in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion, from Harasha in Samaria.

According to a preliminary probe, his tank was hit by a Hamas missile during a counter-terror operation in Rafah city.

The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27 currently stands at 381, and at 809 on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, according to official IDF data.

Additionally, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, a member of the Israel Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded there in May.

“Following the strike, secondary explosions were identified, confirming the presence of weapons,” the military said.
“The IDF is preparing for massive Katyusha rocket fire on the home front,” the order reads.
The resolution does not affect Israeli civilians directly, but enables the IDF to quickly decide on new restrictions.
The military stressed that there was no suspicion of an attack, and the incident is being reviewed.
Those responsible “will carry their dream of a peaceful death in bed to the grave,” the supreme leader warned.
“I have lost a beloved friend,” said the Israeli premier.