Sgt. First Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, 21, of Jerusalem, was killed in southern Gaza after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving in the IDF’s Shimshon Battalion. He is the 430th Israeli soldier to fall since the war began on October 7.

Over the weekend, two other soldiers from the Combat Engineering Corps, Battalion 601, were seriously wounded during combat in northern Gaza and were evacuated to the hospital.

This follows a deadly incident in Khan Yunis last week, where four soldiers were killed when a building collapsed after an explosive device detonated. According to a preliminary IDF investigation, the unit had cleared the first floor and was ascending to the second when they spotted a suspicious object.

The commander ordered a retreat, remaining on the staircase with his radio operator while summoning the elite Yahalom Unit. Moments later, a powerful explosion tore through the structure.

The type of explosive and how it was triggered are still under investigation. The IDF says a full probe is underway and that findings will help shape future operational procedures.