Levayos Held for 4 Soldiers Hy”d Killed in Gaza Building Explosion

Levayos were held across the country on Sunday for the four IDF soldiers killed by terrorists when a booby-trapped building exploded in southern Gaza on Friday.

Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver Hy”d was buried in Sde Warburg Cemetery. His father, Lior, eulogized him as a young man who lived by “humility, love, brotherhood, and friendship.” He added: “You said you were afraid, but you were professional. You set out with your head held high on a noble mission — to bring information about the hostages or to bring them back themselves.”

A large turnout gathered to honor Staff Sgt. Uri Yhonatan Cohen Hy”d in Neve Yarak. Private ceremonies were held for Sgt. First Class Tom Rotstein Hy”d and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross Hy”d.

Uri Yhonatan, 20, from Neve Yarak, and Tom, 23, from Ramat Gan, were members of the elite Yahalom engineering unit. They joined Yoav and Chen, whose names were published earlier, as the four soldiers lost in the blast.

Troops had entered a structure in Khan Younis suspected of concealing tunnel shafts when explosives triggered a collapse, killing the four and injuring five more, one critically.
The explosion occurred around 6:00 a.m. in the Bani Suheila area.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen praised Tom as “the salt of the earth,” while the Drom HaSharon Regional Council expressed sorrow over the “heartbreaking” tragedy.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin admitted that targeting tunnels embedded in buildings carries risks. “To do this without being harmed by an explosive, we use a variety of methods. We will investigate this incident,” he said.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called it “a sad and difficult day,” and praised the soldiers for their courage “to defeat Hamas and bring back our hostages.”

President Yitzchak Herzog said, “The price of war is extremely heavy,” and vowed to honor the fallen and stand with their families.