The IDF reported that Sergeant First Class (res.) Omer Moshe Gaeldor, 30, a soldier from the Golani Brigade's 5111th Reconnaissance Battalion, from Jerusalem, was killed Tuesday morning when a Hezbollah explosive drone struck an IDF unit operating in southern Lebanon.
Gaeldor is survived by his parents, Reaya and Oren, his wife, Adi, and their two young children, 3-year-old Neta and 8-month-old Aluma. He recovered from a severe illness in recent years and returned to active reserve duty.
Three other soldiers were seriously wounded in the attack and were airlifted to an Israeli hospital. Their families have been notified. The strike occurred approximately two kilometers from the border while the troops were securing operations deeper into southern Lebanon.
The IDF said that Hezbollah had intensified its efforts to target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon with rockets, mortars and drones. The military is working to provide early warnings, intercept threats and disrupt such attacks.
Gaeldor, formerly a resident of Neve Tzuf in the West Bank, was eulogized by Benjamin Regional Council head Yisrael Ganz. "Today, we bear a heavy price and mourn the loss of a hero who gave his life to protect the people of Israel. The state will continue to strike its enemies until full victory is achieved. We embrace his wife, Adi, and the entire family," Ganz said.
In Gaza, the military reported Sunday the deaths of Capt. Yogev Pazy, 22, a platoon commander in the Kfir Brigade’s 90th Battalion, from Giv’ot Bar, and Staff Sgt. Noam Eitan, 21, a fighter in the same battalion, from Hadera. The soldiers were killed during a clash with terrorists in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. Another soldier was seriously wounded, and his family has been notified.
Pazy was the nephew of Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot, whose family has also suffered additional losses in the war, including his son, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot, and nephew, Sgt. Maor Cohen Eisenkot. “The heart aches for these two heroes who fell in Gaza today,” said National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz. "Our thoughts are with Hanan, Gadi and the Pazy family during this painful time."
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