Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday morning the names of four fallen soldiers. Later in the day, the names of an additional five were disclosed, raising the death toll of the Gaza ground operation to 185.
The majority of the fallen soldiers fell in a battle that took place in the center of the Gaza Strip, all from the Combat Engineering Corps and many of the same Yahalom special forces units.
Sergeant Roi Tal, from Kfar Yehoshua, 19 years old, was a fighter in the 94th Battalion of the Kafir Brigade and fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sergeant First Class (res.) David Schwartz, from Elazar, 26 years old, was a fighter in the 8219 Engineering Battalion, the 551st formation, and fell in a battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sergeant First Class (res.) Yakir Hexter, from Jerusalem, 26 years old, was a fighter in the 8291 Engineering Battalion, the 551st formation, and fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sergeant First Class (res.) Gavriel Bloom, from Beit Shemesh, 27 years old, was a fighter in the divisional engineering team of the 36th Division and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Master Sergeant (res.) Amit Moshe Shahar, from Ramat Yohanan, 25 years old, was a fighter in the Yahalom unit, Combat Engineering Corps, and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Captain (res.) Denis Krokhmalov Veksler, from Be'er Sheba, 32 years old, was a combat engineering officer in the Yahalom unit, Combat Engineering Corps, and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Captain (res.) Ron Efrimi, from Hod Hasharon, 26 years old, was a combat engineering officer in the Yahalom unit, Combat Engineering Corps, and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Sergeant Major (res.) Roi Avraham Maimon, from Afula, 24 years old, was a combat paramedic in the Yahalom unit, Combat Engineering Corps, and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Sergeant Major (res.) Akiva Yasinskiy, from Ramat Gan, 35 years old, was a fighter in the 8173 Engineering Battalion, the 'Etzioni' 6th Brigade, and fell in battle in the center of the Gaza Strip.
