Israeli soldier killed in friendly fire incident in southern Gaza Strip PHOTO

A soldier from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) was killed in a friendly fire incident during overnight military operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the military said on February 18.

The soldier was identified as Ofri Yafe, 21, a staff sergeant serving in the Paratroopers Brigade, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

According to the military, Yafe was fatally shot after being mistakenly identified as a threat during engineering operations near the southern city of Khan Younis.

The incident occurred during nighttime activity in eastern Khan Younis, where Israeli troops were carrying out demolition work on structures located within buffer zone outposts close to the border.

Preliminary findings indicate Yafe was struck by small-arms fire from fellow Israeli forces operating in the area.

Yafe, who was from the northern Israeli community of Hayogev, had been deployed to the sector with his unit roughly a week before the incident, according to the military statement.

The military said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing.

Yafe is the fifth Israeli service member reported killed in Gaza since a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025. Military figures indicate that 925 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023.

Overall fatalities since the start of the war have reached 2,013, according to official military data.

By Aghakazim Guliyev