The army is continuing to investigate the incident, as during a dawn alert, the troops are supposed to be at peak alertness and vigilance, specifically on the lookout against such an attack.
By Batya Jerenberg
Three Hamas terrorists opened fire at close range on a tank in northern Gaza Monday morning then threw an explosive inside, killing four soldiers.
The attack occurred around 6 a.m. on the outskirts of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, at a position manned by Battalion 50 of the Nahal Brigade.
The tank had returned from night-time operations in the area an hour earlier, assuming a defensive position near the post at a time called “Dawn Alert.”
The initial army investigation found that the tank crew were awake and monitoring the area at the time of the attack.
Still, the three terrorists managed to approach the tank unnoticed, open fire and throw in the explosive, which killed the crew and ignited the tank.
According to Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh, several Nahal soldiers manning the position ran toward the tank after hearing the gunfire and explosion.
They identified the attackers and engaged them in a firefight, during which the terrorists attempted unsuccessfully to penetrate the post.
One IDF fighter was moderately wounded in the battle.
Two of the terrorists were also wounded but fled with their comrade.
During a subsequent search, troops found two weapons and traces of blood, indicating at least one attacker had been hit.
The four Armored Brigade soldiers from Battalion 52 who fell were Lt. Matan Abramovitz (21), from Ganei Tikva, Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed (20) from Tel Mond, and Sgts. Amit Arye Regev (19) from Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, and Gadi Kotal (20), from Kibbutz Afikim.
Eshkol Regional Council head Michal Uziahu eulogized Kotal in a post on X as “a young man full of spirit, heart and values,” who had been “and educational role model.”
He had served as a combined instructor-mentor for high school seniors during the year after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Yifat Siminovich, mother of Lior, a soldier killed early in the war, also paid tribute to Abramovitz on social media.
Siminovich runs a “sweets headquarters” that provides treats to on-duty troops in memory of her son.
She shared messages she exchanged with Abramovitz just two days before his death, as he had received some of her treats for the Sabbath.
This “charming” young man, she wrote in shock, whom she recognized from a visit he had once paid her group, had thanked her personally, saying that the desserts had lifted his team’s spirits.
He also told her he had shared Lior’s story with his comrades, as she includes a letter about her son in every package.
When Siminovich asked if she could visit his battalion to speak about Lior, he replied that it wasn’t possible at the time but promised to call if the opportunity arose.
“I am crying. He just wrote to me. He had been by me,” she wrote.
The army is continuing to investigate the incident, as during a dawn alert, the troops are supposed to be at peak alertness and vigilance, specifically on the lookout against such an attack.
