The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit released the identities of some of the eight soldiers who tragically lost their lives in the explosion of an APC in Rafah on Shabbos:

• • Sergeant Elyahu Moshe Zimbalist, 21, from Beit Shemesh.
  • Sergeant Itay Amar, 19, from Kokhav Ya’ir–Tzur Yig’al.
  • Staff sergeant Stanislav Kostarev, 21, from Ashdod.
  • Staff sergeant Orr Blumovitz, 20, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur.
  • Staff sergeant Oz Yeshaia Gruber, 20, from Tal Menashe.

All were members of the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion.
It was confirmed last night that among the fallen soldiers was Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, from Beit Jann, who served as a deputy company commander in the Engineering Battalion 601 and was leading the APC at the time of the incident.
Furthermore, the IDF disclosed on Sunday morning that Captain Eitan Koplovich, 28, from Yerushalayim, and Senior Staff Sergeant Major Elon Waiss, 49, from Psagot, were killed in action in the northern Gaza Strip. Both served in the 129th Armored Battalion of the 8th Armored Brigade.
Two soldiers sustained serious injuries in the incident that claimed the lives of Koplovich and Waiss, and they were promptly evacuated for medical treatment, with their families notified.
Beit El mourned the loss of Sergeant Shalom Menachem, 21, a resident of the town and a victim of the APC explosion in Rafah. The community issued a statement honoring his service, describing him as a hero who defended Israel for five months in Gaza.
The Nachal Sorek Regional Council announced the death of IDF soldier Yakir Levi, 21, from Kibbutz Chofetz Chaim in the Rafah tragedy.
The investigation into the incident is considering two primary scenarios: one involving an anti-tank missile striking the APC, and the other suggesting the APC detonated a powerful explosive device, triggering a chain reaction of explosives and mines.
Reflecting on the tragedy, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari expressed deep sorrow, stating, “Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza.”
“Early this morning, following the completion of operations in the northwestern part of the region, infantry, armored, and engineering units from the 401st Brigade deployed in convoys of armored vehicles to secure positions on the front lines. As per our current information, a significant explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles within the convoy, likely caused by an explosive device planted in the area or an anti-tank missile. The eight soldiers who lost their lives were inside this armored vehicle,” Hagari explained.
He added, “In the wake of this tragic incident, a joint team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will conduct a thorough examination of the armored vehicle and all relevant details until conclusive findings are reached.”
{Matzav.com Israel}