Three Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed and one officer critically wounded in northern Gaza on Monday, the military confirmed. The incident occurred around noon in Jabalia, where a tank they were operating was struck by an explosion.
The IDF initially suspected the tank was hit by Hamas RPG fire. However, in the hours following the incident, the military increasingly came to believe the explosion may have been caused by a malfunctioning shell that detonated inside the turret.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Staff Sgt. Shoham Menahem, 21, from Yardena; Sgt. Shlomo Yakir Shrem, 20, from Efrat; and Sgt. Yuliy Faktor, 19, from Rishon Lezion—all from the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion.
Their deaths bring the total Israeli military casualties in Gaza and adjacent operations to 454 since the start of the ground offensive.
Shortly after the incident, two rockets were launched from central Gaza toward southern Israel. The military intercepted both, with no reported injuries.
GHF, an Israeli-backed US organization that seeks to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid, has faced harsh criticism from the UN and other aid organizations, which charge that it fails to meet the needs of Gaza’s population. Gazans have reported near-daily incidents in which groups trying to reach GHF facilities are shot at by Israeli forces, leading to mass casualties.
Israel, which accuses Hamas of hoarding aid, has also accused the terror group of attacking Gazan aid seekers near GHF sites and falsifying death tolls. However, Israel has also acknowledged that “several” Palestinian civilians have been killed near GHF aid distribution sites.
GHF commenced operations in May as Israel lifted a nearly three-month aid blockade on Gaza, amid a renewed offensive there that seeks to take over 75% of the Strip with the aim of defeating Hamas and securing the release of the hostages seized by the Palestinian terror group during its October 7, 2023, attack that started the ongoing war.
