Four fighters were killed on Friday morning in the collapse of a building from a powerful explosion of an explosive device near Khan Yunis.
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The building collapsed, killing Major (res.) Chen Gross, 33, from Magen Yasiya, a soldier in the Magen Unit of the Commando Division; Sergeant Yoav Rever, 19, from Warburg Field, a soldier in the Yahalam Unit; Master Sergeant Tom Rothstein, 23, from Ramat Gan, a soldier in the Yahalam Unit, Combat Engineering Corps; and First Sergeant Uri Yehonatan Cohen, 20, from Neve Yarak, a soldier in the Yahalam Unit, Combat Engineering Corps.
Five more fighters were injured in the incident, including a reserve officer in Magellan seriously, and the rest moderately.
The incident occurred during an attack by Division 98 in northern Khan Yunis, near Bani Suheila. Fighters from the Maglan unit entered at 6:00 AM to search a building inside a Hamas compound.
The IDF said the force's mission was to capture a building in a Hamas compound, which according to intelligence assessments may have an underground route underneath. As the fighters entered, a powerful explosive device exploded and part of the building collapsed on the fighters, who were trapped under the rubble.
The four fighters were killed on the spot. Another fighter was seriously injured, 4 fighters were moderately injured, and several more fighters were slightly injured. The wounded were evacuated by helicopters within a short time to receive treatment in hospitals, while the work of extracting the dead from the rubble continued for many hours, with the assistance of teams from the Home Front Command.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir arrived at the Southern Command yesterday and participated in the investigation into the incident in Khan Yunis. A military source noted that the building itself where the explosive device exploded was marked by the IDF. The force arrived at the building to investigate it and discover a terrorist infrastructure within it.
The process of entering the building is still under investigation.
Eight Israelis were killed in Gaza last week, and 424 fighters have been killed since the ground maneuvers in the Gaza Strip began.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement of mourning: "This is a sad and difficult day. On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families of our four heroic fighters who fell in Gaza in the campaign to defeat Hamas and return our hostages.".
President of the State Yitzhak Herzog: "With a painful and sorrowful heart, I bow my head and mourn with the entire House of Israel the fall of our brave fighters, our beloved sons, in the Gaza Strip. The price of war is extremely heavy. This is a time of great sorrow - but also of great commitment: to stand behind the generation of heroic fighters, to embrace the families of the fallen, and to ensure that their names and heroism will never be forgotten.".
Defense Minister Israel Katz: "I bow my head and grieve the loss of Major Chen Gross, a reserve soldier in the Maglan unit, and Sergeant Yoav Rever, a soldier in the Yahalam unit, who fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip, along with two additional soldiers whose names have not yet been released. I would like to send my deepest condolences to the dear families. There are no words that can comfort the magnitude of the loss.".
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