Official announcements from the Israeli Defense Forces

Three Israeli Soldiers Cpt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, Staff Sgt. Netanel Pessach, and Sgt. Hillel Diener Killed in Gaza IED Explosion

Dec 23, 2024, 06:30 PM

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported the deaths of three soldiers during combat operations in the northern Gaza Strip on December 23, 2024. The soldiers were identified as Captain Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, 22, from Kiryat Motzkin; Staff Sergeant Netanel Pessach, 21, from Elazar; and Sergeant First Class (res.) Hillel Diener, 21, from Talmon. They were killed in an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Beit Hanoun. The incident occurred during ongoing military operations against Hamas militants, which have seen a total of 38 Israeli soldiers killed since the operation began on October 5, 2024. The IDF stated that the evacuation of the deceased soldiers was complicated by a secondary explosion that targeted rescue forces arriving at the scene. The military continues to engage in a sweeping offensive in the region.