One officer, two soldiers killed in northern Gaza Strip

Three soldiers, Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, St.-Sgt. Netanel Pessach, and Sgt.-Maj. Hillel Diener, were killed in the northern Gaza Strip overnight on Sunday, the military announced Monday evening.

All three served in the Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade and were operating in Beit Lahiya.

Atedgi, 22, was from Kiryat Motzkin, and served as a deputy commander; Pessach, 21, was from Elazar; and Diener, 21, was from Talmon.

Kfir troops began operating in the western part of Beit Hanun on Sunday. The IDF has been operating in Beit Lahiya and other areas on the northern edge of the enclave to root out and prevent Hamas cells from regrouping. Some 821 soldiers were killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023.

Initial investigations from Monday morning indicated that troops set out to scan an area, during which troops ran into a Hamas terrorist and killed him after an exchange of fire.

Troops then began to move towards a protective zone a couple hundred meters away. During that time, they entered a booby-trapped area.

Several options were being explored by the IDF by press time as to what happened next. The first is that a Hamas observer saw the troops and activated from afar one of the explosive devices. The other is that one of the troops stepped on a tripwire, which set off the device and the explosion.

Four soldiers were wounded in the explosion. Military medics arrived immediately and pronounced the deaths of three. The fourth soldier was moderately wounded, was treated at the scene, and evacuated to hospital. The IDF will investigate why heavier machinery was not used beforehand to determine if explosives were nearby.

The Gush Etzion Regional Council confirmed his death, stating, “We extend our condolences to his parents, his seven siblings, and the Elazar community."

Regional councils mourn fallen soldiers 

Pessach’s funeral is scheduled for 12 p.m. Tuesday at the Kfar Etzion Cemetery. The public is invited to line the route with Israeli flags. Atedgi’s funeral will be held at 12 p.m. in Haifa.

The Binyamin Regional Council said, “Diener, a resident of Hashmonaim and originally from Talmon...  leaves behind his wife, Zehava, his parents, Roni and Theresa, and five siblings.”

Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz said, “Today, we lost Hillel, one of the finest sons of Binyamin. Like his family across generations, Hillel was deeply rooted in and connected to the land and the people of Israel with love, fighting for all of us.

Binyamin stands with his wife, Zehava, his parents, siblings, and the Shadmi and Diener families. We embrace and support them. His death is part of the story of Israel’s resilience and revival.”

Kiryat Motzkin Mayor Tziki Tzvi Avisar said, “The skies have fallen today on the Atedgi family and the entire city of Kiryat Motzkin. With heavy hearts, we received the news.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “This is a difficult evening. These brave men sacrificed their lives to defend Israel. My heart goes out to the families; for them and in their memory we will continue to fight for our security. May their memory be a blessing.”