Sergeant major (res.) Yaacov Ozeri, 28, from Kfar Shamai, fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip, it was cleared for publication on Wednesday morning.
In addition, three soldiers were seriously injured on Tuesday night in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. Their families have been notified.
One month into the war, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday that the IDF attacked more than 14,000 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.
“We have killed many Hamas commanders, of various ranks. We have destroyed over 100 tunnel openings leading to terror tunnels, over 4,000 weapons, many of which were hidden in mosques, kindergartens and residential buildings - testifying to the cynical use of civilians as human shields by Hamas. We have successes, but there is still a long journey ahead,” he said.
“Hamas terrorists are telling themselves there will be a ceasefire. There is no ceasefire. We continue moving forward. We are focused on our offensive in Gaza. That said, we are working in parallel on each of the fronts. We are at a high level of preparedness in the North. In Judea and Samaria we are thwarting attempts at terror attacks and in the Red Sea we are prepared to defend against any scenario. The IDF is highly prepared and is ready to strike hard on any front in any area, against any threat, when needed,” added Hagari.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an update on the war.
“In the south, the war in the Gaza Strip is proceeding with a fervor that Hamas has never known. Gaza City is surrounded. We are operating in it. We are intensifying the pressure on Hamas on an hourly basis, every day,” he said.
“As of now, we have eliminated thousands of terrorists above ground – and below ground. Among them, we have eliminated arch-murderers who planned and perpetrated the terrible massacre on that black Shabbat one month ago. Since the start of the ground incursion, we have destroyed countless Hamas command centers, tunnels, bases and installations. Hamas is discovering that we can go to places they did not think we could, and the campaign is continuing.”
“From here I turn to the hostages' families, who are enduring an ongoing nightmare: I want you to know that we are using all means, on all fronts, in order to bring your loved ones – our loved ones – back home. The military action is a vital part of this effort,” Netanyahu stated.
Commenting on the situation in the north, the Prime Minister said, “In the north, we are operating defensively and offensively. We will continue to defend our border. We will not accept a reality in which Hezbollah or those who do its bidding, Hamas in Lebanon, attack our communities and our citizens. We will continue to respond with heavy fire to any attack against us. We have attacked many Hezbollah targets and have eliminated many terrorists. I reiterate: If Hezbollah decides to enter the war – it will be making the mistake of its life.”