Four Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza Bomb Blast

Four Israeli soldiers were killed and three others injured on Thursday morning when a roadside bomb exploded in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The IDF identified the slain soldiers as:
Major Omri Chai Ben Moshe (26), resident of Zafria
Lieutenant Eran Shelem (23), resident of Ramat Yohanan
Lieutenant Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak (22), from Har Bracha
Lieutenant Ron Arieli (20), from Hadera

All four soldiers were part of the Dekel Battalion of the IDF’s Bahad 1 Officer Training School, the military confirmed. Major Ben Moshe served as a company commander, while the other three were cadets who were posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

Thursday’s incident brings the total number of Israeli military personnel killed during the ongoing ground operations and border conflict in Gaza to 469, according to the Times of Israel. Among the dead are also two police officers and three civilian contractors from the Ministry of Defense.

This latest attack highlights the continued risks faced by Israeli forces as they carry out operations against Hamas in the densely populated and volatile southern Gaza region.

Source: Times of Israel