IDF Soldier KIA in Gaza, Bringing Wartime Toll to 862

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday announced that Master Sgt. (res.) Alon Farkas had been killed in combat in the northern Gaza Strip.

Another soldier from the same unit was seriously wounded in the incident and was evacuated to the hospital for treatment, according to the military.

Farkas, 27, from Kabri, a kibbutz in the Western Galilee, is the 862nd Israeli soldier to fall in combat since the Hamas-led terrorist assault on Oct. 7, 2023. The death toll among IDF troops in Gaza since the start of the ground incursion there on Oct. 27, 2023, now stands at 417.

The IDF announced on Tuesday that three soldiers had been killed in Jabalia in northern Gaza — 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.

The soldiers' vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, according to Hebrew media reports.

These deaths come as the Israeli military continues to expand "Operation Gideon's Chariots" in Gaza, targeting Hamas infrastructure and terrorists.

The stated goal of the operation is to dismantle Hamas' military capabilities, take control of key areas, and secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages.

This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.