An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed during combat in Khan Yunis, the southern Gaza Strip, the military said on Friday afternoon.
The slain man was named as Sgt. Asaf Zamir, 19, from Dimona, southeast of Beersheva. He served in the 53rd Armored Battalion of the 188th Brigade.
Two additional soldiers were seriously wounded in the same incident. They were evacuated to the hospital and their families were notified.
Earlier on Friday, the military announced the death of Sgt. Yair Eliyahou, 19, from the community of Ezer, southeast of Ashdod. He was a combat engineer in the Northern Brigade of the IDF’s Gaza Division.
“The whole nation grieves over the loss of our soldiers who fought courageously in the campaign to defeat Hamas and release our hostages,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.
“The entire people embrace the dear families at this time of deep sorrow. May the memory of our heroes be blessed and enshrined in our hearts forever,” he added.
On Wednesday, the IDF announced the death in Gaza of Sgt. Yaniv Michalovitch, 19, from Rehovot, who served in the 82nd Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. A tank commander and another soldier were seriously wounded in the same incident.
On Sunday, the military announced that Sgt. Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, 20, was killed in action in northern Gaza. Last week, seven IDF troops were killed when their armored vehicle was struck by an explosive in the Strip. The same day, an Israeli soldier was killed by an Iranian missile fired at the Jewish state.
The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27, 2023, stands at 439, and at 883 on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, according to official military figures.
The IDF is continuing to press ahead with ground operations across Gaza as part of “Gideon’s Chariots,” a campaign with the stated goal of dismantling Hamas’s remaining military capabilities, taking control of key areas in Gaza and securing the release of the remaining 50 captives.
