Israel confirms loss of three soldiers in fierce Gaza clashes Nephew of ex-IDF chief among them

On November 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three soldiers were killed during combat operations in the northern Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. 

The soldiers, identified as members of the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, were Sgt. First Class (res.) Idan Keinan, 21, from Ramat Gan; Cpt. Yogev Pazy, 22, from Giv’ot Bar; and Staff Sgt. Noam Eitan, 21, from Hadera. Their deaths bring the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the beginning of the ground offensive against Hamas to 378, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

According to an initial IDF investigation, Keinan lost his life to sniper fire on Saturday in the Beit Lahiya area of northern Gaza. The following day, Pazy, who served as a platoon commander, and Eitan were killed in an exchange of fire with Hamas fighters in the same area. The IDF also reported that another soldier from their battalion sustained serious injuries during the clash.

Cpt. Yogev Pazy was the nephew of Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff and observer minister in the war cabinet. This tragedy comes just weeks after Eisenkot’s own son, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, and his nephew, Sgt. Maor Cohen Eisenkot, 19, were killed in separate incidents in Gaza in early December.

The funeral for Sgt. First Class Idan Keinan took place at Kiryat Shaul cemetery at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Keinan is survived by his parents, a sister, and a brother. In a heartfelt social media post, his sister Linoy described him as a hero, expressing the deep pain of his loss. She shared a message Keinan had written to his grandmother two months prior, in which he reflected on the risks of his service. “If the Father in Heaven decides that someone needs to die for our people, it is the greatest merit in the world,” he wrote, adding that he was at peace with the path he had chosen to defend his country.

The ongoing conflict, which erupted on October 7, 2023, was triggered by a large-scale Hamas-led assault that claimed the lives of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel. The attack also resulted in the abduction of 251 individuals, taken as hostages to Gaza. The IDF states that 97 of these hostages remain in captivity, alongside four others who have been held for over a decade.

The IDF continues its ground operations in Gaza, facing fierce resistance from Hamas fighters as part of Israel’s broader strategy to neutralize the group's military capabilities. Casualties on both sides have continued to mount, with ongoing airstrikes and ground engagements leading to significant destruction and loss of life in the densely populated enclave.

By Khagan Isayev