The IDF reported  that Master Sergeant (res.) Asaf Kafri, a 26-year-old resident of Beit Hashmonai, lost his life during a battle in northern Gaza. Kafri had been serving as a tank operator in the 79th Battalion, which is part of the 14th Armored Brigade.
During the same confrontation, three other soldiers sustained injuries. Among the wounded were a Yahalom Unit officer and a reservist from the same battalion as Kafri, both of whom were critically hurt. “The wounded were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and their families were notified,” said the IDF spokesperson.
The death toll for Israeli soldiers since the war began now stands at 849.
The clash occurred at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, when terrorists operating out of Beit Hanoun launched an anti-tank missile along with sniper fire at an Israeli force near Outpost 39. The area is adjacent to Outpost 40, where Warrant Officer G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra was killed just days earlier.
The sniper’s bullet killed the tank crewman, while three other troops were hit—two suffering grave injuries and one sustaining moderate wounds. The soldiers were carrying out a mission near the outpost when they came under heavy, multi-directional gunfire. The individuals behind the attack have not yet been found.
In response, Israeli forces launched strikes on positions in the vicinity to contain the threat and prepare for further operations against Hamas. The military specifically targeted assets tied to the Beit Hanoun Battalion, which was also the subject of a significant IDF operation in Jabaliya prior to the most recent ceasefire.
{Matzav.com Israel}