Sergeant First Class (res.) Yehuda Geto, 22, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur, an operational military driver, was killed in an explosion in Tulkarem, located in the West Bank - the IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced late Monday.
Geto was killed when an Israeli Namer APC he was in drove over an explosive in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem. Another soldier, a commander in the elite anti-terror Duvdevan Unit, was seriously injured as a result of the explosion. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, 672 soldiers have been killed, 318 of whom fell during the ground operation in the Strip. The soldiers entered the refugee camp as part of an IDF operation that began at 3:00 a.m.
Geto's cousin, Eitan Alma, said, "The last time Yehuda was here was on Saturday after an operation on he was in on Friday. He came home on Saturday, managed to see his family, and talked about his unit's complex operations. On Sunday, before returning to his unit, he said goodbye to the family. He was very proud to serve in during the operations there."
Geto studied at Amit Dror Yeshiva in Or Akiva and was very proud of his service in the elite commando unit. He is survived by seven siblings.
Yoni Hakimi, head of the Pardes Hanna-Karkur Local Council, said, "Our town has lost today another one of its sons in this unbearable war. Sergeant First Class Yehuda Geto is the 9th casualty from our town since the start of the war. Yehuda was a man of values who grew up in a warm family who loved the land. We send our deepest condolences to the parents, siblings, and family."