Samaria father of five dies of Rafah battle wounds

The funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.

By JNS

Israel Defense Forces Sgt. Maj. (res.) Asael Babbad, 38, from the Binyamin region of Samaria, died on Thursday from wounds sustained in battle in Rafah on Oct. 19, 2025, the Binyamin Regional Council announced.

Babbad, a resident of Bnei Adam (Sneh)—a small hilltop community adjacent to and in the process of being formally incorporated as a neighborhood of Geva Binyamin (Adam)—was married to Hagit and the father of five children: Tamar, Shai, Ayala, Gilad and Noga.

He was to celebrate his 39th birthday in two weeks and is the 60th resident of the Binyamin region slain in the current war and the 924th soldier killed since Oct. 7, 2023.​

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara in a statement on Thursday extended their “heartfelt condolences to the family of Sgt. Maj. (res.) Asael Babbad, of blessed memory, who was severely wounded in Rafah three months ago and passed away today from his injuries after a prolonged struggle.

“His heroism and courage will be forever cherished in our hearts. May his memory be a blessing,” the statement from the premier added.

According to the IDF’s announcement of his death, Babbad was a combat soldier in the 941st Battalion of the Menashe Regional Brigade.

According to his community, Babbad fought “bravely in Gaza, demolishing terror structures under constant risk,” and in recent months “fought the battle of rehabilitation” after suffering very serious wounds and “terrible pain,” doing everything he could to recover and return to his family. They said he showed deep faith, “amazing determination” and “acceptance of the divine decree.”

“We are so sad that his stubborn struggle ended today and he returned his pure soul to his Creator,” the community said in a statement, adding that its members “embrace Hagit and the children, who stood by his side with courage and optimism during the difficult months.”

The funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. The family requested that the funeral not be open to media coverage and has declined interview requests.

Soldiers from the Kfir Brigade, operating under the IDF’s Gaza Division, are conducting operations east of the ceasefire line to dismantle terror infrastructure, the IDF said in a separate statement on Thursday.

During the activity, troops working alongside the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit located and destroyed an underground tunnel route approximately one kilometer (0.6 miles) long. According to the army, the tunnel contained arms and three hideouts for Hamas terrorists.

The military added that IDF soldiers remain deployed in the area in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement and would continue operations to remove “any immediate threat.”