IDF announces deaths of 10 more soldiers killed fighting in Gaza, taking ground op toll to 208

The IDF announces the deaths of 10 soldiers who were killed in an incident in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, during which two buildings collapsed following a large explosion, and a tank was apparently hit by an RPG.

Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 208.

The IDF is still probing the cause of the blast, but it is thought to have been caused by an RPG fired at the building where mines were stored. Rescue efforts continued for several hours after the incident.

They are:

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Matan Lazar, 32, of the 261st Brigade’s 6261st Battalion, from Haifa.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Hadar Kapeluk, 23, a squad commander in the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Mevo Beitar

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Sergey Gontmaher, 37, of the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Ramat Gan.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Elkana Yehuda Sfez, 25, of the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Kiryat Arba.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Yuval Lopez, 27, of the 205th Brigade’s 9206th Battalion, from Alon Shvut.

Master Sgt. (res.) Yoav Levi, 29, of the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Yehud-Monosson.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Nicholas Berger, 22, of the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Jerusalem.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Cedrick Garin, 23, of the 261st Brigade’s 8208th Battalion, from Tel Aviv.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Rafael Elias Mosheyoff, 33, of the 261st Brigade’s 6261st Battalion, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Barak Haim Ben Valid, 33, a squad commander in the 261st Brigade’s 6261st Battalion, from Rishon Lezion.