Two IDF reservists were killed in a Hamas mortar attack in the central Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.
The soldiers are named as:
Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga, 25, of the Alexandroni Brigade’s 9203rd Battalion, from Ganot Hadar.
Sgt. First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, 27, of the Alexandroni Brigade’s 9203rd Battalion, from Tel Aviv.
Another three soldiers of the Alexandroni Brigade were seriously wounded in the incident, the IDF says.
Smadga is the son of Oren Smadga, who won an Olympic bronze medal in judo for Israel in 1992. Derai is the son of Laly Derai, a news commentator who previously ran for the Likud primary and works for the Hamaniot nonprofit which aids orphans in Israel.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar fire yesterday, saying it targeted a military position near Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.
Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas and in operations on the Gaza border to 314. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 21, 2024
