The mother of an Israeli soldier killed in a deadly building collapse in southern Gaza said her son’s entire unit was wiped out in the incident, and that his body was identified through DNA alone.
Staff Sgt. First Class Tom Rotstein, 23, of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, was among four soldiers killed Friday during an operation in Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis. His death, previously announced by the Israel Defense Forces, is now the subject of an internal military investigation.
In an interview with Ynetnews, Rotstein’s mother, Sigal, described receiving the devastating news on Friday afternoon. “I don’t even have a body. He took the brunt of the blast,” she said. “His entire team, known as the Rotstein unit, vanished. Tom vanished from the world.”
Rotstein was killed alongside fellow Yahalom fighters Staff Sgt. Uri Yhonatan Cohen, 20, of Neve Yarak, and Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver, 19, of Sde Warburg, as well as Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross, 33, a reservist in the IDF’s elite Maglan unit. Five additional soldiers were wounded in the collapse, including a Maglan reserve officer who was seriously injured.
According to early findings reported in Israeli media, the structure was considered relatively stable before the incident and was part of a Hamas subterranean complex. The IDF said the troops were engaged in a clearing operation, supported by preparatory fire and tank cover, when the collapse occurred.
Sigal Rotstein said her son had been eager to complete his military service. “He wanted to become a civilian and start his life. He always told me, ‘Mom, everything is fine,’” she said. “He had a plane ticket to the United States. He planned to travel with his girlfriend and later go backpacking in Asia. But none of that will happen.”
Rotstein had been serving in Gaza since October 7, when he was called up for emergency duty following Hamas' surprise attack. “He fought in every sector. He was exhausted and waiting for a cease-fire,” his mother said.
The collapse occurred during a 98th Division ground assault on a fortified Hamas compound in Bani Suheila, an area the IDF had previously declared cleared of Hamas control. Despite that declaration, officials now say militants have reestablished themselves in the neighborhood, which lies just outside Israel’s newly created buffer zone inside Gaza.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has since ordered a tightening of operational procedures, instructing troops to advance slowly and cautiously to minimize casualties. Military officials say Hamas has rigged hundreds of buildings in Gaza with explosives and uses tunnel shafts hidden inside civilian structures to launch attacks.
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Rotstein’s mother remembered her son as exceptionally gifted, describing him as “6-foot-3-inches of sensitivity, intelligence, a smile, musical talent and athletic ability.” She added, “He had hundreds of friends. People haven’t stopped coming.”
Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the past week, the deadliest seven-day period since January. As of Saturday, the total number of Israeli military fatalities since the war began on Oct. 7 stands at 866.