The slain soldiers were part of a convoy protecting an army firetruck that was en route to extinguish a blaze in an armored personnel carrier.
By Lauren Marcus, The IDF Club
The IDF announced that three troops were killed in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon, after their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside explosive device.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Staff Sgt. Lior Steinberg, 20, from Petah Tikva, Staff Sgt. Ofek Barhana, 20, from Yavne, and Staff Sgt. Omer Van Gelder, 22, from Ma’ale Adumim.
All serving in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion, Steinberg and Barhana were combat medics, and Van Gelder was a squad commander.
Two other soldiers from the Armored Battalion’s 9th Division were moderately wounded in the explosion and are currently hospitalized, the IDF said.
The deadly incident occurred in Jabaliya, a city in the northern Gaza Strip.
The slain soldiers were part of a convoy protecting an army firetruck that was en route to extinguish a blaze in an armored personnel carrier.
A preliminary investigation found that the vehicle carrying Steinberg, Barhana, Van Gelder, and two other soldiers was directly hit by an explosive device, the IDF said in a statement.
According to Hebrew-language media reports, there were numerous bombs planted along the road where the attack took place, complicating rescue efforts.
Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg eulogized Steinberg on social media, describing him as “one of the best sons of Petah Tikva – a brave fighter, a beloved person who went out to defend us all and did not return.”
Greenberg added that “we will always remember Lior with pride and gratitude.”
“On my behalf and on behalf of the residents of the city, we extend a comforting embrace to Ofek’s family,” Yavne Mayor Roei Gabay said in a statement addressing Barhana’s parents.
“Our hearts are with you in this difficult time. No words can truly console you,” Gabay wrote.
Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach said that Van Gelder “gave his life for the people and the land.”
The city of Ma’ale Adumim “embraces the family, and will support them in every step and every need,” Yifrach added.
