An IDF reserve soldier succumbed to wounds sustained fighting in Gaza, particularly a serious fungal infection, the military confirmed following reports, bringing the death toll in the ground operation to 227.
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Staff sergeant (res.) Hanan Drori, 26, from Jerusalem, was a fighter in the Special Forces, 551 Formation. He died after being wounded on Dec. 17 in battle in the north of the Gaza Strip, per the IDF statement.
"I knew Hanan as a valued neighbor. We lost a charming, handsome man with a sense of humor and kindness. A smart and brilliant guy. We hug the whole family and dear parents Tali and Roni," Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Gantz said in a statement, adding Drori was about to get engaged.
Drori was reportedly wounded by RPG fire in Gaza. He was first transporter to the nearby Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon, then transferred to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
At Sheba, the hospital and Drori's family turned to Pfizer pharmaceutical company to receive an experimental antifungal drug named Fosmanogepix, due to an infection that could not be treated or stabilized.
According to Israeli media, the drug was brought to Israel from Ireland where the experimental treatment was going through clinical trials. However, it failed to improve the Drori's condition.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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