The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported late Saturday that Sergeant First Class (res.) Yakir Shmuel Tatelbaum, 21, from Ma’ale Adomim, a soldier in the 77th Battalion, and Staff Sergeant Yair Avitan, 20, from Ra'anana, a soldier from the 890th Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, fell in clashes against terrorists in Gaza.
The military added that a soldier from the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion and an officer from the Givati Brigade's “Rotem” Battalion were severely injured in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to Israeli hospitals.
The Ra'anana municipality said in a statement that Staff Sergeant Avitan’s funeral is expected to take place later on Saturday. He is survived by his parents, Einat and Maimon, and three younger siblings. He grew up and studied in Ra'anana.
Ra'anana Mayor Chaim Broyde said, "Our hearts are broken after learning of the deaths of Staff Sergeant Yair Avitan, a resident of our city who gave his life defending Israel’s security. Ra'anana’s community mourns alongside the Avitan family, embracing and supporting them in this difficult time."
Since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 670 IDF soldiers have been killed, of which 316 fell in the Gaza Strip since the ground operation began on October 27.