The IDF announces the deaths of five soldiers killed during fighting in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, bringing the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 144.
They are:
Staff Sgt. Nir Rafael Kananian, 20, of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Beit Keshet.
Staff Sgt. Birhanu Kassie, 20, of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Beit Shemesh.
Master Sgt. (res.) Shay Termin, 26, of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade’s 6623rd Battalion, from Rosh Pina.
Warrant Officer (res.) Alexander Shpits, 41, of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade’s 6623rd Battalion, from Karmiel.
Cpt. Oshri Moshe Butzhak, 22, a team commander in the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Haifa.
Kananian, Kassie, Termin, and Shpits were killed on Friday in southern Gaza, while Butzhak was killed today in the Strip’s north.
Another five soldiers of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit were seriously wounded in the battle in which Kananian and Kassie were killed, the IDF adds.
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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, December 23, 2023
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