1 IDF soldier killed, 13 injured fighting in southern Gaza

The fallen soldier’s name is Staff Sgt. David Sasson (21) of the Oketz canine unit based in Ganot Hadar.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

One IDF soldier has been killed and 13 have been injured, 6 seriously, during combat in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

The fallen soldier’s name is Staff Sgt. David Sasson (21) of the Oketz canine unit based in Ganot Hadar.

The death of David Sasson brings the total of fallen IDF soldiers to 247.

In a separate incident, a soldier from the Commando Brigade was seriously wounded in southern Gaza.

Late last week in Khan Younis, 3 IDF soldiers were killed and 6 were seriously wounded in a building booby-trapped with explosives.

The soldiers entered a two-story building to pursue Hamas terrorists only to discover that the building was trapped with explosives inside and outside.

As the explosives detonated, two soldiers were trapped inside the building.

An IDF helicopter arrived immediately and initiated a strike against the terrorists, whom the IDF says were killed.

The names of the fallen soldiers, released on Saturday night, are 19-year-old Sergeant Dolev Malka from Shlomi, 19-year-old Sergeant Afik Tery from Rehovot, and 20-year-old Sergeant Inon Yitzhak from Mitzpe Ramon.

All three soldiers were recruited and trained in the Kfir Brigade’s Nachshon battalion and were enrolled in the Bislamach Brigade commander’s training course.

The IDF has been pressing forward with its “Crown of the West” operation in Khan Yunis, arresting dozens of terrorists on Tuesday who were attempting to escape by hiding themselves among Palestinian civilians.