A 20-year-old Indian-origin Israeli soldier, Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon, was among the 12 Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel who lost their lives while fighting an intense gun battle with Hamas militants deep inside Gaza, according to media reports citing ommunity members and the Mayor of Dimona town.
Dimona, a small southern Israeli town has large population of Indian Jews and some even call it “little India” in Israel. Staff Sargent Solomon also belonged to Dimona and was among the IDF troops that launched the ground operation in the Gaza strip last week.
Indian community members in Dimona have condoled his death, terming him “a young man with pleasant manners and a very bright future ahead,” according to a PTI report.
Earlier Wednesday, IDF confirmed 10 soldiers were killed on Tuesday during a battle with Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip. This takes the total of Tuesday’s casualties to 12 as death of two other soldiers was confirmed earlier.
Israel-Hamas war: 7 hostages killed in Jabaliya camp bombing, claims Hamas
The IDF continued their ground, and air assault in Gaza to eliminate Hamas militants and claimed to have struck 1,100 Hamas targets, including underground tunnels and militant outposts in operation carried out overnight and throughout the day.
Dozens of Hamas militants were also killed but Palestinian authorities have not confirmed these numbers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement on the death of 11 IDF soldiers in Gaza, said that they fell in a just war and assured full government support to their families.
“Our soldiers fell in a just war, a war for our home. I promise you citizens of Israel: we will continue until we fulfill the mission – we will continue until victory,” the Israeli PM said.