Six Israeli soldiers were killed Thursday in two separate attacks—four in a roadside explosion in Rafah and two in a terror attack at the Allenby Crossing on the Jordanian border.
The victims in Rafah were identified as Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, 26, of Tzafria; Lt. Ron Arieli, 20, of Hadera; Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, 22, of Har Bracha; and Lt. Eran Shelem, 23, of Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan. The four were killed when their Humvee struck a roadside bomb in Rafah’s Jenina neighborhood. Three other soldiers were injured, one seriously and two moderately.
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From top left to right: Lt. Eran Shelem, Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, Sgt. Oren Hershko, Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, Lt. Col. (Res.) Yitzhak Harosh Lt. Ron Arieli
(Photo: IDF)
At the Allenby Crossing, Lt. Col. (Res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, of Jerusalem, and Sgt. Oren Hershko, 20, of Tel Mond, was killed in the attack. Harosh, an officer in Reserve Unit 309 of the Civil Administration, had been inspecting aid trucks entering Gaza from Jordan. Hershko served as a liaison NCO to foreign forces in the IDF’s Tevel Brigade.
All six men left behind devastated families and grieving communities.
A birthday turned to tragedy
Lt. Ron Arieli, who fell Thursday morning on his 20th birthday, was the middle child in his family, between his older sister Gili and younger brother Adir, 14. He grew up in Hadera, where he excelled as a top student, a standout athlete, and a leading player for Maccabi Hadera’s basketball team.
Friends described him as “the beating heart of the class”—a natural leader who remained humble and inclusive. In recent weeks, Arieli was serving as a Golani Brigade combat soldier and was midway through officers’ training at the IDF’s Bahad 1.
His father, Sagiv, a police operations officer, had attended a New Year’s toast with colleagues that morning, telling them he planned to take two hours off to celebrate with his son—moments before casualty officers arrived at the family’s home. Hours earlier, Ron posted an Instagram story with the number “20” alongside the word “Gaza.”
Rachel Sabah, principal of his high school, remembered him as “a wonderful student, friendly and full of light. He dreamed of becoming a soldier and defending the country—a dream he fulfilled with Golani.” Hadera’s mayor, Nir Ben Haim, said the city was in deep mourning: “Ron was a natural leader and true friend who always cared for everyone.”
A newlywed officer
Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, 22, of Har Bracha, had married his wife, Atara, just three months ago. A commando fighter and officer cadet in the Dekel Battalion, he was remembered by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, a relative, as “a son of Torah and a frontline warrior, who believed deeply in settling the land.”
The Har Bracha community issued a statement: “We embrace Atara, who became his bride only months ago, and the entire Ben Itzhak family. Eitan will forever be remembered as a man of values, faith, and love for the land, who gave his life for Israel.” His funeral drew hundreds to Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
A father who returned to Gaza from his son’s Brit milah
Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, 26, of Tzafria, the eldest of four siblings, had recently been promoted to major after commanding a company in Bahad 1’s Dekel Battalion. He was married to Hadass and the father of two, 2-year-old Carmi and Roi Yitzhak, born just a month ago.
“He went straight back to Gaza from his son’s brit milah,” his uncle Doron Golan told Ynet. “He was a deeply Zionist man, a man of Torah who loved the land of Israel. Truly, salt of the earth.”
Head of the Shdot Dan Regional Council, David Yifrah, said: “With deep pain and heartbreak, we received the tragic news of Omri Chai’s death. We embrace the family, whose roots are planted in love for this land and its people.” He was laid to rest at Mount Herzl.
Carrying a family legacy of service
Lt. Eran Shelem, 23, of Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan, was a cadet in the Dekel Battalion and a soldier in Sayeret Matkal, Israel’s elite commando unit. He was the son of attorney and community activist Ido Shelem, recently appointed to lead the rehabilitation of Kibbutz Manara, heavily damaged in the war in the north.
His grandfather, Col. (Res.) Elisha Shelem, a legendary paratrooper and member of Unit 101, commanded the battle for Mount Hermon during the Yom Kippur War. Eran’s great-grandfather, Mattityahu Shelem, was a composer and poet of the Third Aliyah, whose songs became part of the Israeli national repertoire, including “Between Mountains and Rocks” and “Those Who Sow in Tears.”
Kibbutz secretary Carmi Yinon said: “Eran was the fourth generation in Ramat Yochanan, a grandson of Elisha, a great warrior, and great-grandson of Mattityahu, who shaped Israeli culture. His family has given so much to the nation. Eran was himself a fighter in an elite unit, part of a deeply rooted, values-driven family.”
A father lost in front of his son
Lt. Col. (Res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, of Jerusalem, was killed in the Allenby Crossing attack while his son, also a reservist, was serving at the site. His son was not harmed but learned of his father’s death on the spot.
Harosh, who immigrated from Egypt and spoke fluent Arabic, lived in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood and worked for years at the National Insurance Institute before transferring to his role overseeing aid convoys at the crossing. He had been preparing to move into a new home in Har Gilo. He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and a son.
“A beloved friend and student”
Sgt. Oren Hershko, 20, of Tel Mond, was also killed at the crossing. A graduate of the Rabin High School in his hometown, he was remembered as a kind, modest young man who always knew how to show gratitude.
“He stood out for his kindness, smile, and humility,” said Clarisse Brier, the school counselor. His former teacher, Vered Noy, recalled: “Oren was always ready to help, with a big smile. He was intelligent, sensitive, and beloved by all.”
Tel Mond council head Lin Kaplan said, “A heavy sorrow has fallen on Tel Mond with Oren’s death. We grieve with the family and embrace them in this difficult time.”