Newlywed Master Sgt. Abraham Azulay Hy”d,  Killed in Hamas Abduction Attempt

An Israeli soldier who celebrated his marriage three months ago was killed during a Hamas attempt to abduct him in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Wednesday.

The soldier was identified as Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay Hy”d, 25, a heavy equipment operator in the Southern Command’s combat engineering unit, from the town of Yitzhar in the Shomron.

According to the IDF’s initial findings, Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel and attacked Israeli troops in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.

During the confrontation, the terrorists targeted Abraham, who was operating an excavator at the time.

“He struggled with them and the terrorists shot and killed him,” the military said.

Abraham who lived at Shaked Farm near Yitzhar in the northern Shomron. He is survived by his wife, parents, and siblings.

After murdering Abraham, the terrorists tried to drag his body into the tunnel, but Israeli troops stationed nearby opened fire and prevented the abduction, the IDF said.

Earlier in the day, Hamas’s military wing had announced that its operatives had attempted to capture a soldier east of Khan Younis but were unable to do so. “Field conditions did not allow for it, so they killed him and seized his weapon,” the statement said.

Azulay had previously served in the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade, 202nd Battalion. In his reserve service, he was placed in a light infantry unit under the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade.

From the start of the war through early March 2024, Azulay served 66 days in reserves and was promoted to sergeant first class.

In June, he was called up again to operate an excavator for engineering missions inside Gaza.

Due to the circumstances of his death, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, with the approval of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, restored Azulay’s previous rank and posthumously promoted him to master sergeant.

In a separate incident, the IDF reported that a soldier from the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade was seriously wounded during combat in northern Gaza and evacuated to a hospital.

Both events occurred as the IDF intensified its operations in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun and continued its presence in the south. Troops from the Givati Brigade and the 99th Division have been working to encircle Hamas operatives believed to be entrenched in tunnel systems in the north.

“The forces are operating to destroy terror infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and destroy Hamas’s military capabilities in the area,” the army said.