Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot, the son of Israeli Minister Gadi Eisenkot, and Sgt. Major (res.) Jonathan David Deitch of the 55th Brigade’s 6623rd Reconnaissance Battalion have been killed in the Gaza Strip, Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Israel Hamas War
The IDF informed that Eisenkot (25), of the 551st Brigade’s 699th Battalion from Herzliya, was killed in northern Gaza. It added that three other troopers were seriously injured and shifted to hospitals for treatment. The IDF said Deitch was killed during a gunbattle in the southern Strip, according to The Times of Israel.
A total of 89 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the ground offensive in Gaza.
His father, Gadi Eisenkot, is a former IDF chief of staff and is currently serving as a minister in the emergency government on behalf of Benny Gantz’s National Unity party. He is also an observer on the high-level war cabinet, which is leading the decision-making amid the ongoing war with Hamas. The IDF announced the deaths of Eisenkot and Deitch amid heavy fighting in Gaza, as Israeli troops advanced into major Hamas strongholds in the northern and southern parts of the coastal enclave.
In a statement, Benny Gantz said, “Our hearts are broken. On the eve of Hanukkah, Gal’s candle was extinguished”, referring to the Jewish holiday of lights that begins Thursday evening. “We are all committed to continue fighting for the sacred mission in whose name Gal fell,” he added.
Current War Scenario
The US vetoes a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it is barely operating in Gaza as Israel intensifies fighting in both the north and the south. Widespread damage to the medieval Omari Mosque – the largest in Gaza City, long considered a symbol of the enclave – in an Israeli attack stokes further outrage. Hamas says several captives were “killed and injured” in Israeli strikes in recent days.
