The fighting in Gaza
A series of incidents took place over the past 24 hours in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in northern Gaza, as part of an assault by the IDF’s 98th Division, which entered the area in the past day as part of the IDF’s expanded operations in the north of the Strip alongside the 162nd Division.
The first incident occurred around 9 a.m., when terrorists fired two RPG rockets at a Merkava tank from the 7th Armored Brigade and at a nearby structure.
Sgt. Yaniv Michalovich, who was inside the tank, was killed. Two other crew members were seriously wounded, and another soldier sustained light injuries.
Additionally, two soldiers were moderately and lightly wounded from the rocket strike on the nearby building.
Three separate incidents
Shortly afterward, a sniper fired from a distance at troops from the Commando Brigade, not far from where the RPGs were launched. A soldier from the Egoz unit was seriously injured.
Around noon, a D9 armored engineering vehicle carrying soldiers from the IDF’s 603rd Engineering Battalion hit an explosive device. Two soldiers were wounded, one moderately and one lightly.
Three incidents occurred within three hours, resulting in one fallen soldier and eight others wounded.
Fought with bravery
Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X: “My deepest condolences on the death of Sgt. Yaniv Michalovich, a tank soldier in the 82nd Battalion, who fell in battle in northern Gaza. Like all our heroic fighters, Yaniv z”l fought bravely to bring back all our hostages and defeat the Hamas murderers.
On behalf of the entire defense establishment, I want to embrace his family in their most difficult hour. I wish a speedy recovery to all the soldiers wounded in this incident and others. May his memory be a blessing.”
