Israeli President Isaac Herzog has expressed profound sorrow over the deaths of seven Israeli soldiers killed during combat operations in the southern Gaza Strip, describing them as "flowers plucked while defending our people and homeland."
In a heartfelt message posted on X (formerly Twitter) this morning, Herzog wrote: "A very painful morning in which we learned of the deaths of our dear and beloved sons in battle in Khan Younis. Seven flowers plucked while defending our people and homeland. Matan, Ronel, Niv, Ronen, Shahar, Maayan, and another fighter whose name has not yet been released for publication."
"The fighting in Gaza is tough, the battles are fierce, and the burden is heavier than can be borne," Herzog continued. "We bow our heads and embrace with pain and tears the bereaved and grieving families. We pray for the recovery of the wounded fighters and strengthen all IDF soldiers and their commanders who carry on their shoulders the defense of all our lives."
Details of the Incident
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later identified the seventh fallen soldier as Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, from Kiryat Yam. Davidov served as a medic with the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion and was among those killed when their Puma armored combat engineering vehicle was struck by a powerful explosive device in Khan Younis on Tuesday.
According to an initial IDF investigation, a Palestinian fighter planted the explosive on the vehicle while it was in motion. The resulting blast ignited a fire that quickly engulfed the vehicle. Despite efforts to extinguish the flames, all seven soldiers inside perished.
The Fallen Soldiers
The other six soldiers previously identified are:
Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski
Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe
Sgt. Ronen Shapiro
Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein
Staff Sgt. Niv Radia
Sgt. Shahar Manoav
All seven soldiers were members of the same battalion and were engaged in operations in the Khan Younis area when the incident occurred.
This incident marks one of the deadliest single attacks on Israeli forces since the beginning of the current conflict in Gaza, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by troops operating in the region.
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