The IDF has announced the deaths of 21 soldiers who were killed in an incident in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, during which two buildings collapsed following a large explosion, and a tank was apparently hit by an RPG.
Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 219.
The IDF is still probing the cause of the blast, but it is thought to have been caused by an RPG fired at the building where mines were stored. Rescue efforts continued for several hours after the incident.
The IDF Spokesperson on Tuesday released the names of the 21 soldiers who were killed in the incident, Hashem yikom damam:
– Sergeant Major (res.) Itamar Tal, 32, from Mesilot.
– Sergeant Major (res.) Adam Bismut, 35, from Karnei Shomron.
– Sergeant Major (res.) Shay Biton Hayun, 40, from Zichron Yaakov.
– Sergeant Major (res.) Zegeye Daniel Kasau, 38, from Yokneam Ilit.
– Sergeant Major (res.)Matan Lazar, 32, from Haifa.
– Sergeant first class (res.)Hadar Kapeluk, 23, from Mevo Beitar.
– Sergeant Major (res.)Sergey Gontmaherr, 37, from Ramat Gan.
– Sergeant first class (res.)Elkana Yehuda Sfez, 25, from Kiryat Arba.
– Sergeant first class (res.)Yuval Lopez, 27, from Alon Shvut.
– Master sergeant (res.)Yoav Levi, 29, from Yehud-Monosson.
– Sergeant first class (res.)Nicholas Berger, 22, from Jerusalem.
– Sergeant first class (res.)Cydrick Garin, 23, from Tel Aviv-Yafo.
– Sergeant Major (res.)Rafael Elias Mosheyoff, 33, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur.
– Sergeant Major (res.)Barak Haim Ben Valid, 33, from Rishon Lezion.
– Sergeant First Class (res.) Ahmad Abu Latif, 26, from Rahat.
-Captain (res.) Nir Binyamin, 29, from Givatayim.
-Master Sergeant (res.) Elkana Vizel, 35, from Bnei Dekalim.
-Sergeant First Class (res.) Israel Socol, 24, from Karnei Shomron.
-Captain (res.) Ariel Mordechay Wollfstal, 28, from Elazar.
-Sergeant First Class (res.) Sagi Idan, 24, from Rosh Ha’ayin.
-Sergeant major Mark Kononovich, 35, from Herzliya.
