An Israeli reserve soldier was killed and several others wounded during two separate attacks by Hamas fighters in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening, according to the Israeli military. The incidents occurred during Israel’s ongoing ground campaign targeting Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and surrounding areas.
The military identified the fallen soldier as Master Sgt. Alon Farkas, 27, from Kabri, a member of the 6646th Battalion in the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade. He was killed during an ambush in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, where a Palestinian gunman reportedly opened fire at close range and then fled into a dense urban area. A second soldier from the same unit was seriously wounded in the attack.
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In a separate incident nearby in Jabaliya, Hamas used a drone to drop an explosive device on Israeli forces. The blast moderately injured two soldiers from the Yahalom combat engineering unit and lightly wounded a Shin Bet officer. A day earlier, three Israeli troops were killed in the same area by a roadside bomb.
Since restarting its offensive on March 18, after a two-month truce, Israel has deployed five military divisions in Gaza. The campaign seeks to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities and end its control over the territory. According to the military, 425 Israeli personnel, including soldiers, police officers, and civilian contractors, have been killed in the ground campaign since it began in late 2023.
Gaza health authorities say at least 54,510 people have died in the territory since the conflict began, with more than 124,000 wounded. Israel’s current offensive has focused on the north, including Shuja’iyya and Jabaliya, where Hamas is believed to maintain a dense network of tunnels and guerrilla cells.