The IDF released the names of four IDF soldiers killed in action in Gaza on Tuesday morning.
Major (Maj.) (res.) Netzer Simchi, 30 years old, from Masad, a combat officer in the 87th Battalion, the 14th Strike Brigade, was killed in battle in the north of the Gaza Strip on Monday.
Captain (Capt.) (res.) Gavriel Shani, 28 years old, from Ma'ali, a team commander in the 6646 patrol battalion, Shu'ali Marom formation (646), was killed in battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday.
Sergeant-Major (Sgt.-Maj.) Yuval Nir, 43 years old, from Kfar Etzion, a fighter in the 6646th Patrol Battalion, Shu'ali Marom formation (646), was killed in battle in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday.
The IDF then announced the name of a fourth soldier who fell in battle in northern Gaza on Wednesday.
The soldier in question was IDF Maj. (res.) Yitzhar Hofman, 36, from Eshhar, a village in northern Israel. He was a platoon commander in the IDF's Sheldag unit.
The IDF added that in the battle in which Shani and Nir fell, two reserve soldiers from the 6646 patrol battalion, Shu'ali Marom formation (646), were seriously injured. Additionally, a fighter from the Paratroopers reconnaissance unit was seriously injured in a battle in the center of the Gaza Strip. In the north of the Strip, a fighter and a sergeant from the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade were also seriously injured. The IDF updated that the soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment in a hospital, and their families were informed.
Simchi graduated from the Kadoorie Agricultural High School, and his mother, Shahar, is a teacher and educator at the institution. The high school published a condolence message: “With great and deep sorrow, we received a very painful message that Netzer, the beloved son of Shahar Simchi, a dear teacher and educator at Kadoorie, fell in the battles in Gaza. Netzer Simchi is a graduate of Kadoorie from the 77th graduating class. We embrace Shahar and all her family in their heavy mourning.” With the outbreak of the war, Netzer was in Thailand - and returned from the trip to fight.
איזה כאב. אחד האנשים שהכי חדרו לי ללב.לא סיימנו את השיחה נצר. pic.twitter.com/FMo5DPAEdt
— Yoaz Hendel יועז הנדל (@YoazHendel1) January 30, 2024
Former minister Yoaz Hendel, who met Netzer during the fighting and filmed a video with him, shared the message, 'What a heartache. Netzer Simchi fell today. He so deeply entered my heart. Netzer, we didn't finish our conversation.”
Nir, a resident of Kfar Etzion, left behind his parents, Amos and Letzi Nir, his wife, Ayala, and their five children: Alon, Shahar, Ofri, Yigal, and Roey. The Gush Etzion Council published a condolence message: “The Gush Etzion Council announces the fall of Sergeant-Major Yuval Nir, a resident of Kfar Etzion who fell in the battles in Gaza.”
The head of the Gush Etzion Council, Shlomo Ne'eman, eulogized Nir: “Yuval, you fell as a hero in the most just war, in defense of the people and the land. We send condolences to the extended Nir family and the communities of Kfar Etzion and Migdal Oz, our beloved residents.”
Shani, from Yakir, also fell in the battles in the Gaza Strip. The settlement where he lived published a condolence message: “With great sorrow and deep pain, we were informed this evening of the fall of our settlement's member, Captain (res.) As a combat officer in the paratroopers, Gavriel Shani fell in battle for the state's defense in the line of duty. Yakir embraces the Shani family, the widow, and the extended family and will stand by their side.”
Israeli comedian Hanoch Daum, a relative of Shani, eulogized him on his Facebook account: “He was from a special family with deep [Jewish] roots. He is from a truly extraordinary family. What a difficult evening.”
In the Eli secretary's office, they also mourned Shani: “Baruch Dayan HaEmet - with great sorrow, we announce the falling of Gavriel Shani in Gaza. We share in the grief of his wife, Yuval, the children, and the residents of HaShaked Street. Details about the funeral and shiva will be sent later."