Two IDF units operating in close proximity mistakenly identified one another as hostile forces and opened fire.
By The IDF Club
The IDF on Tuesday cleared for publication the name of Sgt. Ofri Yaffe, 21, from Moshav HaYogev, a fighter in the elite Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, who fell during combat operations overnight in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
According to preliminary findings, the tragic incident occurred in the Yellow Line area during routine clearing operations carried out by forces from the Paratroopers Brigade. Two IDF units operating in close proximity mistakenly identified one another as hostile forces and opened fire.
Yaffe was critically wounded in the exchange and later succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated for medical treatment. The military has launched a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the nation’s grief following the announcement, saying, “My wife Sara and I send our heartfelt condolences and share in the deep sorrow of the family of Sgt. Ofri Yaffe, of blessed memory, a fighter in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit who fell from friendly fire in the painful incident in the Gaza Strip.”
“The entire people of Israel bow their heads over the fall of Ofri, who went out to fight with bravery in order to safeguard Israel’s security,” Netanyahu added. “May his memory be blessed and preserved forever.”
In Moshav HaYogev, residents mourned the loss of a young man described as one of their own. “With deep sorrow and a broken heart, Moshav HaYogev bows its head following the fall of our son, Ofri Yaffe, of blessed memory,” the community said in a statement. “The entire community is shocked and grieving this heavy loss.”
Yaffe’s family said they are still struggling to grasp the magnitude of the tragedy. “We are shocked and cannot yet comprehend the loss of our beloved son, Ofri,” they said.
Sgt. Yaffe fell while serving on the front lines of ongoing IDF operations aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and protecting Israeli civilians from continued threats. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming days, as the nation joins his family, friends, and comrades in mourning a young soldier who gave his life in defense of Israel.
