An IDF officer was killed in this morning’s gunfight in the West Bank village of Tell after a group of Israelis entered the area without coordinating with the army.
The slain officer is named as Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, a battery commander in the 282nd Artillery Regiment’s 411th Battalion, from Herzliya.
The officer was hit by gunfire after a Palestinian snatched an assault rifle from a civilian security officer amid the clash.
In all, two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed in the incident.
The IDF has also recognized the second Israeli, a civil defense squad member, as a fallen soldier.
He was named as Master Sergeant (res.) Benayahu Mellet, 32, a commander in the Jerusalem Brigade’s 8119th Battalion, from Yitzhar. At the time of his death, he was serving in the reserves as a regional defense soldier.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 24, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
