The IDF announced Saturday the death of 5 soldiers during Gaza Strip battles, raising the death toll to 43 since the beginning of the ground offensive.
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Last photo: Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz, Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin
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Four soldiers of the reservist's 697th Battalion were killed by a deadly blast from a booby-trapped tunnel shaft next to a mosque in Beit Hanoun. The troops were not inside the tunnel. In addition, four others sustained severe injuries, two of whom are in critical condition. One other soldier died in northern Gaza Strip battles.
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From top left clockwise: Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz, Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin, Master Sgt. (res.) Netanel (Nati) Harush
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Nati Levi)
The soldiers are: Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, 39, a company commander in the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion, from Ein Tzurim, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz, 44, a soldier in the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion, from Gevaot, Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir, 38, a soldier in the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion, from Odem, Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin, 32, a soldier in the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion, from Kiryat Shmona, Master Sgt. (res.) Netanel (Nati) Harush, 34, a soldier in the Givati Brigade’s logistics unit, from Jerusalem.
Hershkovitz served as the principal of the Pelech Boys School in Jerusalem. Educators in Jerusalem praised him in a statement, highlighting his diverse qualities, activities, and leadership in education. They emphasized his unwavering commitment, stating that he had been "engaged in the southern front from day one."
Furthermore, the IDF reported that an officer and four soldiers from the 697th Battalion of the 551st Brigade sustained serious injuries during recent clashes in northern Gaza. Additionally, a commander from the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade was seriously wounded in the central Gaza region.
A combat helicopter strike to aid the ground forces in the Gaza Strip
