The IDF announces the death of a soldier killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip today. He is named as Staff Sgt. Rotem Sahar Hadar. He was 20 years old and was from Kfar Aviv. He served in the Paratroopers Brigade's reconnaissance unit.

Hadar has been posthumously promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant. Since the beginning of the war, 571 IDF soldiers have already been killed.

Two soldiers and an officer of the same unit were also seriously hurt in the same battle with Hamas operatives. Six more soldiers were also wounded, in light and moderate conditions, in the same incident.