The condition of the officer who was seriously wounded last week in the building collapse incident in Khan Younis has significantly improved, Soroka Medical Center reported today (Monday). He is now fully conscious, hospitalized in the general intensive care unit, and is expected to undergo additional surgeries in the coming days.
Entered a Booby-Trapped Building
According to Soroka’s spokesperson, ten wounded soldiers were evacuated over the past week from the fighting in the Gaza Strip—including the officer who was seriously injured during an operation carried out by the IDF’s 98th Division.
The incident took place on Friday morning, when a combat force entered a booby-trapped building in the city of Khan Younis as part of a clearing operation. The structure, which had previously been identified as suspicious, collapsed following a powerful explosion that caused the building to cave in.
Four Soldiers Killed, Five Others Injured
The investigation indicates that the force acted in accordance with protocol, but the main explosive device was apparently planted on an upper floor of the multi-story building. The collapse killed four soldiers:
- Sergeant Major (Res.) Chen Gross, 33, from Petah Tikva
- Staff Sergeant Yoav Raver, 19, from Ramat Hasharon
- Sergeant First Class Tom Rotstein, 23, from Ramat Gan
- Staff Sergeant Uri Yonatan Cohen, 20, from Neve Yarak
