The Israeli military said Wednesday that a reserve soldier was killed and another seriously wounded during a clash in northern Gaza, as Israeli forces continue their ground campaign against Hamas militants.
The soldier was identified as Master Sgt. (res.) Alon Farkas, 27, of Kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel. Farkas served in the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade’s 6646th Battalion and was killed Tuesday during fighting in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said. The second reservist, who was not named, was evacuated for medical treatment.
The IDF said the unit was conducting operations outside a military post in a newly established buffer zone between the Israeli border and the eastern Gaza neighborhood when a gunman opened fire and fled back into a densely built area.
Separately, the military confirmed that three soldiers from the Givati Brigade were killed in an explosion in Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp on Tuesday. They were identified as Sgt. First Class Lior Steinberg, 20, from Petah Tikva; Sgt. First Class Ofek Barhanna, 20, from Yavne; and Sgt. First Class Omer Van Gelder, 22, from Maale Adumim. Two additional soldiers were moderately wounded.
The explosion occurred after troops from Givati’s Rotem Battalion encountered an explosive device while operating under an armored unit. Their Namer armored personnel carrier caught fire, and the soldiers escaped without injury. A second unit, including a Humvee and a military fire truck, arrived to assist. On the return trip, the Humvee triggered another explosive device, killing the three soldiers inside and wounding two others.
Military engineers later discovered that the area had been rigged with dozens of explosive devices intended to cause extensive damage.
The deaths come amid increased scrutiny over the slow pace of Israel’s ground campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strategy Tuesday, saying the military was “advancing in a measured way to prevent or minimize the loss of our soldiers.”
The IDF has focused operations on the outskirts of towns near the Israeli border, with the Southern Command reportedly opting for a gradual advance to allow time for negotiations over a potential hostage deal with Hamas.