The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a soldier died on Tuesday -- the first casualty since its fresh ground operation against Hamas started in Gaza. The slain soldier was identified as Major Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, a company commander in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion. The 27-year-old was a native of the Northern District's Migdal Haemek, IDF said. Major Bozaglo died while undergoing treatment after his tank was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) by Hamas, Israeli media reports said.
Major Bozaglo's tank column came under fire on Monday while the 77th Battalion’s tanks were on the offensive. He was the only officer injured in the incident and was quickly rushed to a hospital. However, his condition deteriorated while undergoing treatment and breathed his last early on Tuesday, Times of Israel (TOI) quoted an IDF probe report as saying. A recipient of the award of excellence from the commander of the Armored Corps, he was elevated to the role of company commander at the beginning of the month.
While remembering their fallen officer, IDF claimed Major Shahar Netanel Bozaglo had told his men during a briefing that "We’ll look for the enemy and find them." "Operational discipline and push each other all the time." he was heard telling his troops in a video before entering Gaza City last week for the operation. The footage was reportedly published by the IDF in his honour after his passing.
Over 400 Israeli soldiers are said to have died fighting Hamas since the invasion of Gaza began. A report from January published by FDD's Long War Journal had claimed that a total of 891 IDF personnel had fallen since October 7, 2023, with 390 of those killed since the ground invasion started.