The IDF released for publication on Thursday that Lt. Col. Salman Habaka, the commander of 188th Armored Brigade’s 53rd Battalion, fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll since the ground operation began to 18.

The IDF added that four soldiers were seriously injured during the fighting in Gaza, a reserve officer from the 679th Brigade, an officer from the Givati Brigade, and two soldiers.

Lt. Col. Salman Habaka from the Druze village of Yanuh-Jat is the most senior officer to fall in battle in Gaza since the ground operation began.

Habaka was the hero of the battle at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 and saved countless lives. He was stationed in the Chevron area that morning but when he heard about the assault in the south, he moved some of his forces to the area, equipping his soldiers with machine guns and tanks. He scattered his soldiers among the Be’eri, Kfar Azza, and Nachal Oz kibbutzim and sent another force to the Erez crossing.

Habaka himself went to the Bee’ri kibbutz with two tanks and a group of paratroopers. Together with the other forces in the field, they repelled the Hamas terrorists and gained control of the kibbutz. Security officials later said that Habaka’s decision to deploy the tanks saved countless lives. His forces also repelled another attack at the Erez crossing and killed terrorists on the border.

He left behind a wife and two-year-old child.

Early Thursday morning, the IDF announced the death of Lieutenant (res.) Yuval Zilber, 25, H’yd, from Ramat Gan, a company commander in the 7007th Infantry Battalion, Jerusalem Brigade, who was killed while fighting in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday.

The IDF did not disclose how he was killed.

The total number of soldiers killed since the start of the IDF’s ground incursion into Gaza is 18. Eleven of the soldiers were killed when an anti.-tank missile hit an armored personnel carrier.

– Sgt. First Class Shalev Zion Sharabi, of Matna Omer
– Staff Sergeant Roei Wolf of Ramat Gan
– Staff Sergeant Lavi Lipschitz of Modiin
– Staff Sgt. Itai Yehuda, HY’d, of Rishon L’Tzion
– Staff Sgt. Shay Arvas, H’yd, of Holon.
– 2nd Lt. Pedayah Mark, H’yd, from the yishuv of Otniel in the Shomron
– 2nd Lt. Roi Sargosti, H’yd of Ramat Hanegev
– Lt. Ariel Reich, 24, from Jerusalem
– Cpl. Asif Luger, 21, from Yagur
– Sgt. Adi Danan, from Yavne
– Staff Sgt. Hallel Solomon, 20, from Dimona
– Staff Sgt. Erez Mishlovsky, 20, from Oranit
– Staff Sgt. Adi Leon, 20, from Nili
– Cpl. Ido Ovadia, 19, from Tel Aviv
– Cpl. Lior Siminovich, 19, from Herzliya
– Staff Sgt. Roei Dawi, 20, from Jerusalem.

The total number of soldiers killed since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th is now 333.

Hashem Yinkom Damam…

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)