The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday morning the death of five soldiers in a severe incident in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip.
The names of the fallen soldiers, four fighters from the Netzach Yehuda Battalion and one fighter from the Northern Brigade, were cleared for publication: Staff sergeant Meir Shimon Amar, 20, from Jerusalem; Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sergeant Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff sergeant Moshe Shmuel Noll; and Sergeant First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin , 28, from Haifa. Fourteen additional fighters were wounded in the incident – two seriously, six moderately and six lightly. They were evacuated to hospitals and their families were notified.
Incident details
The fighters were struck when their unit was carrying out an offensive operation in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The soldiers were ambushed by an array of improvised explosive devices while operating in the area, and Northern Brigade forces were rushed to evacuate the wounded from the field. During the evacuation attempt, fire was opened toward the forces, wounding some of the fighters. The IDF continues to investigate the details of the incident.
The Netzach Yehuda battalion, which is a special unit that is tailored for the needs of religious conscripts, stated, "With a broken and tearful heart, we join in the mourning of the families over the death of their sons, brave fighters who risked their lives and sanctified God's name for the People of Israel. The Netzach Yehuda Battalion entered the maneuver a few days ago for another round in a battalion combat team to fight in northern Gaza Strip."
