The IDF on Motzei Shabbos announced the deaths of another five soldiers who lost their lives in the battle against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
An IDF officer and three IDF soldiers from the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion were killed on Friday night at a booby-trapped tunnel entrance next to a mosque in Beit Hanoun.
An explosive device hit the officer and three soldiers, killing them instantly. Four soldiers were also injured in the explosion, two critically.
The name of the officer is Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, HY’d, 39, from Ein Tzurim, and the names of the soldiers are Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir, H’yd, 38, from Odem; Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin, Hy’d, 32, from Kiryat Shmona; and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz, H’yd, 44, from Gevaot.
The death of another soldier, Master Sgt. (res.) Netanel (Nati) Harush, H’yd, 34 from Jerusalem, was also announced. He fell in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday in which an officer and four soldiers were injured. A Golani officer was also seriously injured on Friday in central Gaza.
On Friday, the IDF announced the death of Staff Sgt. Yehonatan Yitzhak Semo, H’yd, 21, from Karmei Tzur.
A total of 43 IDF soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the ground incursion into Gaza.
(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
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4 Responses
Devastating!
Hashem Please have mercy
Ad mosay??
This govt. is guilty of cannon fodder of it’s citizens & soldiers on so many levels.
…. this war should only be fought from the air. Who says it’s permissible to knowingly sacrifice some Jewish lives to save others?
The officer is Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, HY’d, 39, from Ein Tzurim. He is the oldest son of Yechiel and Chanie (Weiss) Leiter from Yishuv Eili. Chanie is originally from Chicago. Her parents were Phil and Itke Weiss zl’ who Davened in the Adas Bnei Israel shul on Kimball.