Three Givati Brigade soldiers were killed and two others wounded on Monday in a powerful explosion in northern Gaza's Jabaliya, the IDF reported Tuesday morning.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Staff Sgt. Lior Steinberg, 20, from Petah Tikva; Staff Sgt. Ofek Barhana, 20, from Yavne; and Staff Sgt. Omer Van Gelder, 22, from Ma’ale Adumim. All three were members of the Givati Brigade's Rotem Battalion.
According to the military, the incident occurred as a Givati unit operating under the IDF's 9th Armored Battalion encountered an explosive device in Jabaliya. The troops were riding in a Namer armored personnel carrier when it caught fire after triggering an explosive. The soldiers inside managed to escape unharmed.
A separate team, including a military Hummer and an IDF fire truck, was dispatched to assist in extinguishing the fire and recovering the vehicle. On the return journey, the Hummer providing cover for the firefighting mission struck another explosive device. The blast killed three soldiers and moderately wounded two others.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
IDF engineers and bomb disposal units responding to the scene discovered what the military described as a large and sophisticated explosive zone, containing dozens of planted charges intended to cause mass casualties.
The military said that Givati forces continue operations in Jabaliya to eliminate terror infrastructure both above and below ground, neutralize terrorists and expand maneuvering operations in the area.
'Dedicated his life to saving others'
Barhana, a graduate of the Ginsburg Education Campus in Yavne, was remembered as “a gifted, sociable student and a natural-born leader.” Just last week, he visited his former school and proudly showed off his matriculation certificate. “He studied biology and diplomacy and played on the school’s basketball team,” said his teacher Maya Mizrahi. “After graduating, he chose to serve as a combat medic in the Givati Brigade—a role he embraced wholeheartedly, with responsibility, courage and a desire to help others.”
Yavne Mayor Roei Gabay added, “Ofek grew up in our city, studied in our schools and played for Elitzur Yavne’s basketball team. He was a beloved son and friend who dedicated his life to saving others—even under fire.” He is survived by his parents, Mamo and Leah, and siblings Oshri, Dana, Liam and Alin. His funeral was scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the military cemetery in Yavne.
Van Gelder will be laid to rest at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. A relative of Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Moshe Gealdor, a Golani fighter killed in Lebanon on November 19, Van Gelder was remembered by his mother Tehila, who wrote on Facebook: “My firstborn son. An immense heartbreak.”
The Ma’ale Adumim municipality issued a statement calling him “one of the city’s finest sons,” noting that he studied at Amit Eitan School, loved his country and “devoted himself from a young age to helping others and ultimately gave his life for the nation.” Officials added, “We embrace his family and will support them every step of the way.”
Steinberg will be buried at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Segula Military Cemetery. His sister wrote on Instagram: “My pure angel. I wish this were just a dream. I love you.” His mother, Orly, shared the lyrics of singer Idan Raichel’s song Come Back against the backdrop of his death notice: “Then I call to you out of the night, come back, come back today. I so wanted you to arrive, may you come unannounced.” On Facebook, she added: “Love of my life, I can’t believe you’re not with us. I will love you forever.”
Givati Brigade soldiers operating in Gaza
(Video: IDF)
Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg said: “With deep sorrow, we learned of the death of Lior Steinberg, a son of our city who fell in operational activity in Gaza while defending the people and State of Israel. Lior was one of Petah Tikva’s finest, a brave soldier and beloved person. He went to protect us all—and did not return. The entire city bows its head and honors his memory.”
Moving gradually
The IDF is deliberately maintaining a slow and measured pace in its ground offensive in Gaza, focusing primarily on the outskirts of towns near the Israeli border, senior defense sources said Tuesday.
The deliberate tempo, set by Southern Command, is intended to give Israel’s political leadership time and flexibility to pursue renewed indirect negotiations with Hamas over a potential hostage deal.
Meanwhile, the military has intensified its airstrikes, both to pressure Hamas and to encourage Palestinian civilians to evacuate areas that have already seen combat. Despite repeated operations, many Hamas strongholds and central parts of Khan Younis, including its western neighborhoods, remain unentered by Israeli ground forces.
On Monday night, the IDF Arabic-language spokesperson issued new evacuation orders for several areas in western Khan Younis. Leaflets were dropped by aircraft over the city on Tuesday, urging civilians to evacuate immediately.
The ground operations are being led by five divisional commands, each overseeing multiple brigade-level battle groups, composed primarily of regular army units.
Last week, it was cleared for publication that 19-year-old David Libi, from the West Bank settlement of Malachei HaShalom, was killed in Gaza when an explosive device detonated near the engineering vehicle he was operating. Libi was an employee of a civilian contracting firm performing engineering work for the IDF. He will not be formally recognized as a fallen soldier by the military.