The IDF reported Friday that Captain Barak Israel Sagan, aged 22, from Petah Tikva, Sergeant Ido Ben Zvi, aged 21, from Shomrat, and Sergeant Hillel Ovadia, aged 22, from Jerusalem, all soldiers from the 196th Battalion's Tank Commanders Course, 460th Brigade, fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip.
Since the beginning of the war, 765 IDF soldiers have been killed in battle. The incident occurred around 5 am when a Merkava Mark 4 tank was heavily damaged, likely by a powerful explosive device, and in the incident another soldier was injured.
The force had been operating against a renewed Hamas stronghold in a refugee camp at the city’s center, previously maneuvered by the 98th Division months ago. The 460th Brigade is one of three brigades operating in Jabaliya for roughly a month amid renewed Hamas activity in the northern Gaza Strip city.
Though most Jabaliya residents have ultimately evacuated the area, which is encircled by the IDF, several thousand Gazans remain, and the raid is expected to continue for several weeks, according to estimates. Since the operation began about a month ago, the IDF reports that around 45,000 Gazans have been evacuated from the encircled area in Jabalia. The data also shows that IDF forces have detained 300 terror suspects through checkpoints set up around Jabalia. In the past 24 hours alone, the IDF says it has killed about 50 militants, part of hundreds killed in the area over the last month.
Earlier on Friday, the military also reported that five troops were killed in South Lebanon fighting when a building they were in was bombed. The soldiers are Major (Res.) Dan Maori, Captain (Res.) Alon Safrai, Warrant Officer (Res.) Omri Lotan, Warrant Officer (Res.) Guy Idan, and Master Sergeant (Res.) Tom Segal.
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