An Israeli reservist was killed Tuesday when Palestinian terrorists opened fire on troops in Rafah, violating an ongoing ceasefire. The IDF identified the fallen soldier as Master Sgt. (res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, from Neria, a heavy machinery operator in the Gaza Division.
The military said snipers fired at an army excavator and nearby building, killing Feldbaum instantly. Terror operatives then launched several RPGs at Israeli forces but caused no additional casualties.
In response, the IDF launched a wave of strikes across Gaza, targeting dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions, including command centers and tunnel shafts. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported over 100 deaths, though it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed harsh retaliation: “There will be no immunity for Hamas leaders, not for those in tunnels or those in suits.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful strikes” in response to the attack and to Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of 13 Israeli hostages as required by the ceasefire deal.
By Wednesday morning, the IDF announced that the ceasefire had been reinstated but warned it would “respond firmly to any further violations.”
