The IDF announced on Tuesday that three IDF soldiers fell in combat in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF announced on Tuesday that Staff Sergeant Lior Steinberg, Staff Sergeant Ofek Barhana, and Staff Sergeant Omer Van Gelder, IDF soldiers from the Givati Brigade 9th Battalion, fell in combat in the northern Gaza Strip.
Both Staff Sergeant Steinberg, aged 20, from Petah Tikva, and Staff Sergeant Barhana, aged 20, from Yavne, served as combat medics in the Battalion, and Staff Sergeant Van Gelder, aged 22, from Ma’ale Adumim, served as a squad Commander.
Two additional soldiers were moderately wounded in the incident where the three soldiers fell.
The initial inquiry into the incident found that Givati troops from the Rotem Battalion, which was operating in Jabaliya under the command of the 9th Armoured Battalion, rolled over a mine in a Namer APC, which began to burn. The soldiers evacuated the vehicle and were unharmed. Another force from the battalion, including a Hummer and a military fire truck, left to the scene to tend to the burning Namer and evacuate it.
While travelling to the scene, the Hummer that was providing cover for the fire truck rolled over a mine, and all of its passengers were harmed: three were killed and two were wounded. After understanding it was a large minefield, with dozens of explosive devices, combat engineers and sappers began to clear it.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented the soldiers’ deaths: “On behalf of all Israeli citizens, my wife and I send heartfelt condolences to the families of the heroic soldiers Staff Sergeant Lior Steinberg, Staff Sergeant Ofek Barhana, and Staff Sergeant Omer Van Gelder, who fell in Gaza in the campaign to defeat Hamas and free our hostages. Our hearts ache for the families in their darkest moments. We will forever appreciate the heroism of our soldiers, Lior, Ofek, and Omer. May their memories be blessed and forever in the heart of the nation.”
861 soldiers have fallen since October 7th, 2023.
