IDF soldier Noam Shemesh (21) killed in Gaza

An Israel Defense Forces reservist was killed Saturday during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the military confirmed early Sunday, as Israel continues to battle on multiple fronts, including a new phase of conflict with Iran.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, 21, from Jerusalem, served as a squad commander in the Kfir Brigade’s Shimshon Battalion. He was killed in Khan Younis by an anti-tank RPG, according to an initial IDF investigation. Another soldier was lightly wounded in the same incident.

Shemesh’s death brings the number of Israeli personnel killed during the Gaza ground offensive and related border operations to 430. That figure includes two police officers and three civilian contractors working with the Defense Ministry. His death comes just over a week after four IDF soldiers were killed in a similar engagement in Khan Younis.

Saturday’s announcement comes as the war in Gaza takes a back seat to Israel’s escalating confrontation with Iran. On Thursday, Israel began a series of precision strikes on Iranian nuclear and missile infrastructure, described by senior officials as necessary to counter an existential threat.

In retaliation, Iran launched heavy missile barrages overnight Saturday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 200 in central and northern Israel. With the threat from Tehran now front and center, the Gaza front is being managed as a secondary theater, though fighting remains intense.

As tensions continue to rise across the region, the IDF says it remains committed to its dual mission: neutralizing Hamas in Gaza and preventing Iran from achieving nuclear breakout capability.