The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed the names of nine soldiers who lost their lives in confrontations within the Gaza Strip on Saturday, pushing the weekend’s total casualties to 14. The IDF has escalated its operations against the Hamas terror faction.
Among the casualties, five members from the Combat Engineering Corps, along with a paramedic, faced a fatal hit from an anti-tank missile in southern Gaza, while four others succumbed to explosive devices during confrontations with gunmen in central Gaza.
The weekend fatalities bring the total IDF casualties since the ground operation began in late October to 153.
IDF identified the soldiers who lost their lives on Saturday, including Staff Sgts. David Bogdanovskyi and Orel Bashan from Haifa, Staff Sgt. Gal Hershko from Yiftah, and several others from different battalions.
The military’s operations intensified over the weekend, targeting specific areas like Khan Younis in south Gaza, believed to shelter some of Hamas’s top leadership. A notable achievement for the IDF was the elimination of Hassan al-Atrash, a key Hamas official responsible for weapon supply and production, in an airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Despite these advancements, Hamas continues to demonstrate its capability by launching rockets towards Israeli territories, with recent strikes sounding alarms in Gaza border communities and Ashkelon.
Top Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, visited strategic areas in the northern Strip, signaling Israel’s commitment to the ongoing military campaign. Both leaders issued strong warnings, emphasizing the significance of the operation not only for southern Israel but also as a deterrent for other hostile entities like the Lebanese Hezbollah.
The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the effective offensive while emphasizing the task ahead.
This escalation follows Hamas’s aggressive incursion into southern Israel on October 7, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and hostages. While the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry presents a higher casualty figure, Israel maintains its assessment, stating the elimination of approximately 8,000 terror operatives during the October 7 onslaught.
