By David Brummer
An Israeli soldier was killed and five others were wounded, three of them seriously, in a Hamas ambush in northern Gaza on Saturday, marking the first Israeli combat fatality since the collapse of the ceasefire and the resumption of fighting on March 18.
Warrant Officer G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra, 35, a tracker from Rahat serving in the IDF’s Northern Brigade, was killed when Hamas operatives launched a rocket-propelled grenade at an unarmored IDF vehicle near Beit Hanoun, and then detonated a secondary explosive device as rescue forces arrived. Among the wounded were three servicewomen from the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, including an officer and a combat medic.
The attack occurred during an operation to clear Hamas infrastructure and secure a tunnel shaft near the border, part of ongoing efforts to expand Israel’s security buffer zone in Gaza, which now spans over 30% of the territory. Northern Brigade commander Col. Omri Mashiah was at the scene during the ambush.
In response, the IDF launched widespread retaliatory strikes, hitting more than 150 Hamas-linked targets over the weekend. The military reported the elimination of over 40 operatives and the destruction of weapons caches, tunnels, and a Hamas pickup truck. Artillery and armored units also struck the Morag Corridor in southern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to Alnasasra’s family, calling him a hero and offering prayers for the recovery of the wounded.
Alnasasra’s death brings the total number of Israeli troops killed since the start of the ground offensive to 411, and 848 soldiers since the war began on October 7.
