Admin I Wednesday, June 18, 2025
GAZA, Palestine – The Israeli Defence Forces, IDF has confirmed the death of an Israeli soldier that was killed by the Islamic Resistant Movement, Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the IDF identified the dead soldier as Staff Sergeant Stav Halfon, aged 20, from Petah Tikva.
The fallen soldier was in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, 7th Brigade.
The IDF said he fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, held a situational assessment today (Wednesday) at the Southern Command with the Commanding Officer of Southern Command, MG Yaniv Asor, commanders of maneuvering divisions operating in Gaza, and additional senior officers.
LTG Zamir emphasized the importance of continued combat operations in Gaza — aimed at returning the hostages and dismantling the Hamas terrorist organization — as part of Israel’s broader multi-front war effort.
“We are engaged in a very significant operation to remove an existential threat posed to the State of Israel. This is the most serious existential threat we face it is where we are now operating, and it is where we are focusing the IDF’s efforts. We are striking their nuclear program, and we are targeting aspects of the program.
” It is now clear to all of you that there is a direct line connecting Iran to the entire axis. Striking Iran means striking the axis — from Yemen to every front you are aware of. And in the end, it reaches close here; it reaches Hamas”, he said and that Iran is behind arming Hamas, sustaining Hamas, and financing Hamas.
” That’s why the operation we are conducting in Iran directly affects the situation here as well”.
