The IDF reported Sunday morning that four Israeli commandos were killed in a clash with terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip's Khan Younis the day before.
They were identified as Captain Ido Baruch, 21, a commander at the Commando Brigade’s training base, from Tel Mond; Sergeant Amitai Even Shoshan, 20, of the Commando Brigade’s training base, from Azri’el; Sergeant Ilai Zair, 20, of the Commando Brigade’s training base, from Kedar and Sergeant Reef Harush, 20, of the Commando Brigade’s training base, from Kibbutz Ramat David.
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Captain Ido Baruch, Sergeant Amitai Even Shoshan, Sergeant Ilai Zair and Sergeant Reef Harush
According to a preliminary military investigation, the four were killed when terrorists, emerging from a tunnel within a destroyed building, fired upon soldiers patrolling along the IDF’s logistics route in Khan Younis. It seems the attackers were able to escape back into the tunnel.
In a separate incident, a tank carrying soldiers was targeted by RPG fire from another cell in the vicinity, though it resulted in no casualties. The tank crew responded with fire, eliminating members of the second cell, as per the findings of the IDF’s investigation.
The death toll among servicemembers since the start of the war against Hamas has reached 604 and 260 since the onset of the ground offensive in Gaza.