Tragedy in Khan Yunis: Names of the 4 Soldiers Killed in Gaza Building C

Staff Sergeant Tom Rotstein, 23, from Ramat Gan, and Sergeant First Class Uri Yhonatan Cohen, 20, from Neve Yarak, background — photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit

33-year-old reservist Master Sergeant Hen Gross killed in the same incident background — photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit

19-year-old Sergeant First Class Yoav Rower. background — photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit

The IDF has officially released the names of two of the soldiers who lost their lives during combat in the southern Gaza Strip, bringing this week’s toll to eight fallen soldiers. Staff Sergeant Tom Rotstein, 23, from Ramat Gan, and Sergeant First Class Uri Yhonatan Cohen, 20, from Neve Yarak, both fighters in the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, were killed in a deadly incident yesterday during an operation in Khan Younis.

According to the IDF, the incident occurred during an offensive by the 98th Division in northern Khan Younis, near Bani Suheila. At approximately 6:00 a.m., Maglan unit fighters entered a Hamas compound to seize control of a structure believed to contain an underground tunnel network. As they began searching the building, a powerful explosive device detonated, causing the building to partially collapse and trap the soldiers beneath the rubble.

In the same tragic event, two other soldiers were also killed: 33-year-old reservist Master Sergeant Hen Gross and 19-year-old Sergeant First Class Yoav Raver. Their names were cleared for publication yesterday. Additionally, five soldiers were wounded in the explosion, one seriously and four moderately. The injured were quickly evacuated by helicopter to receive treatment at Israeli hospitals. Rescue operations to recover the bodies from the debris lasted for hours, with assistance from Home Front Command teams.

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The deaths of Rotstein and Cohen carry the mounting toll on Israeli forces since the beginning of the ground maneuver in Gaza. Since the start of the operation, 424 IDF soldiers have fallen. Just earlier this week, three soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion were also killed by an explosive in northern Gaza: Lior Steinberg, 20, from Petah Tikva; Ofek Barhena, 20, from Yavne; and Omer Van Gelder, 22, from Ma’ale Adumim. In a separate battle in Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood, 27-year-old reservist Master Sergeant Alon Farkas from Kibbutz Kabri was also killed.

The tragic loss of Rotstein, Cohen, and their comrades highlights the high-risk nature of ongoing operations in the Gaza Strip, especially in areas where Hamas has fortified its presence with underground infrastructure and booby-trapped buildings.