Isabela, Philippines - On Monday, a tragic incident unfolded in the Southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of 21 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers' lives.
Among the casualties was a 23-year-old Sergeant First Class (res.) Cydrick Garin from San Mateo, Isabela. Having relocated to Israel with his mother, Garin enlisted in the IDF after residing in the country for several years.
The soldiers came under attack during a mission to demolish structures and Hamas sites, aiming to establish a buffer zone for the safety of Israeli border communities. Palestinian gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at a tank securing the forces, triggering an initial blast. A second explosion, possibly from another RPG, led to the collapse of two buildings where most of the soldiers were stationed.
This incident, occurring around 600 meters from the border, is said to be the deadliest since the start of Israel's ground offensive in the enclave, bringing the military death toll in the operation to 219. The IDF, in a press conference, revealed that the soldiers were operating across from the southern Israeli community of Kissufim.
For several hours, IDF search and rescue units, along with the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, worked tirelessly to extract casualties from the collapsed buildings. The IDF is actively investigating the circumstances of the incident to prevent future tragedies.
By Tuesday afternoon, the IDF released the names of the 21 soldiers killed, all of them reservists.
Among them were Sergeant Maj. (res.) Matan Lazar, Sgt. First Class (res.) Hadar Kapeluk, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Sergey Gontmaher, Sgt. First Class (res.) Elkana Yehuda Sfez, Sgt. First Class (res.) Yuval Lopez, Master Sgt. (res.) Yoav Levi, Sgt. First Class (res.) Nicholas Berger, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Rafael Elias Mosheyoff, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Barak Haim Ben Valid, Sgt. First Class (res.) Ahmad Abu Latif, Cpt. (res.) Nir Binyamin, Master Sgt. (res.) Elkana Vizel, Sgt. First Class (res.) Israel Socol, Cpt. (res.) Ariel Mordechay Wollfstal, Sgt. First Class (res.) Sagi Idan, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Mark Kononovich, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Itamar Tal, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Adam Bismut, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shay Biton Hayun, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Daniel Kasau Zegeye.
Additionally, three more soldiers lost their lives in combat on the same day as part of an intensified assault on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
In response to the tragedy, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss has expressed sympathy and condolences to the family of the slain Filipino soldier.
The embassy is assisting Garin's father in making arrangements to fly to Israel for the funeral, extending their support during this difficult time.
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