Israel mourns three soldiers killed in northern Gaza as war passes 600 days

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the deaths of three soldiers operating in Gaza. 

Staff Sgt. Lior Steinberg, Staff Sgt. Ofek Barhana and Staff Sgt. Omer Van Gelder were members of Israel’s Givati Brigade, an infantry unit, when they were killed. Steinberg and Barhana were serving as combat medics, while Van Gelder was a squad commander, according to the IDF.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a message expressing his condolences. In Hebrew, Netanyahu wrote that he and his wife Sara sent their “heartfelt condolences to the families of our heroic fighters.”

IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani also expressed his condolences in a post on X, in which he listed the soldiers’ names and ages. All three men were in their early 20s.

The three men were reportedly among five soldiers in a Humvee in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, where their vehicle was hit by an explosive device, according to the Times of Israel, which cited an IDF probe. The other two soldiers in the vehicle were reportedly injured and have been listed in moderate condition.

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According to the outlet, the Humvee was escorting an IDF fire engine that was in Gaza to extinguish an armored personnel carrier that had caught fire. The Times of Israel reported that the cause of the fire remains unknown. The convoy was hit by several explosive devices while on its way out of Jabalia, according to the Times of Israel.

The war in Gaza has raged for more than 600 days since Hamas carried out its massacre on Oct. 7, 2023. There are still 58 hostages being held in Gaza — 23 of whom are believed to be alive, while 35 are confirmed dead and their bodies remain in Hamas’ hands. So far, 148 living hostages and 48 bodies of hostages have returned to Israel. Most recently, on May 12, Edan Alexander, the last living American held by Hamas, was returned to Israel.