IDF Confirms Death of Five Soldiers in Beit Hanoun; Brig. Gen. Defrin Outlines Heavy Toll, Operational Progress in Gaza
In a solemn address on Tuesday evening, IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin announced the tragic deaths of five Israeli soldiers during a complex overnight operation in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. The incident marks one of the deadliest for Israeli forces in recent weeks, amid an intensifying push to dismantle the remaining Hamas battalions.
Defrin named the fallen soldiers:
- Staff Sergeant Moshe Shmuel Noll
- Sergeant First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin
- Staff Sergeant Noam Aharon Musgadian
- Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech
- Staff Sergeant Meir Shimon Amar
All were killed during a coordinated assault led by the 97th Battalion of the Kfir Brigade under the command of the 99th Division. Two soldiers sustained critical injuries, and twelve more were moderately or lightly wounded.
“This is a deeply painful loss,” Defrin said. “These were our brothers—some of the finest among us—who fell defending the people and land of Israel. Their bravery will not be forgotten, and their sacrifice compels us to continue the mission.”
According to an initial IDF inquiry, the unit encountered three sequential explosive devices during a ground advance alongside armored vehicles. While attempting to evacuate the injured, the unit came under sustained gunfire, suggesting a coordinated ambush by Hamas forces embedded in the area.
The incident occurred during Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which seeks to fully dismantle the Hamas battalion entrenched in Beit Hanoun—a fortified area just 1.5 kilometers from the Israeli border. This proximity places Sderot, Nir Am, and the Ashkelon-Sderot railway within range of Hamas attacks.
“Beit Hanoun is a labyrinth of tunnels and terror,” Defrin noted. “Dozens of militants are still holed up in fortified bunkers and underground shafts. The IDF has encircled the area, both above and below ground.”
Despite the tragedy, Defrin emphasized that significant operational advances have been made. The 97th Battalion, which has previously operated in Syria and southern Lebanon, has reportedly eliminated dozens of terrorists and dismantled critical infrastructure in Gaza, including the elimination of a Hamas company commander in the Beit Hanoun battalion.
More broadly, Defrin confirmed that the IDF now maintains operational control over more than 65% of the Gaza Strip, pushing Hamas militants further from the border and enabling the reopening of evacuated areas in the western Negev.
Since the resumption of ground operations in March, the IDF has killed over 1,300 terrorists, including senior field commanders. These efforts are part of a broader campaign to collapse Hamas’s military infrastructure, paralyze its command capabilities, and erode local support for the terrorist organization.
“We are breaking Hamas from within,” said Defrin. “Through coordinated operations by land, air, and sea, we are not just defending Israeli lives—we are systematically dismantling a terrorist regime.”
He also reaffirmed the IDF’s commitment to the return of all hostages and the eradication of Hamas as a governing and military force. “Each loss sharpens our resolve. Every success brings us closer to peace for the people of Israel and security for future generations.”
Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” according to Defrin, will persist until both objectives—hostage recovery and total dismantling of Hamas—are achieved.
