‘Israeli’ soldier killed by sniper attack in northern Gaza

The ‘Israeli’ army announced Thursday the killing of one of its soldiers from the Nahal Brigade in northern Gaza. 

Hebrew media later revealed that the attack was a precise sniper operation that triggered a state of alert within the military.

According to the army, the slain soldier was 21-year-old First Sergeant Chalachew Shimon Demalash from Beersheba, serving in Battalion 932 of the Nahal Brigade.

An initial military investigation, reported by The Times of Israel, stated that Demalash was overseeing a guard post at a base when he was struck by sniper fire from a long distance. 

Hebrew outlets confirmed that the shooter managed to withdraw after carrying out the attack.

Immediately after the incident, large army forces conducted extensive searches in the area and called in heavy fire support, but failed to locate the sniper, underscoring the precision and planning behind the operation.

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The loss coincides with key strategic debates within the ‘Israeli’ leadership. 

Maariv newspaper reported that ‘Israeli’ military leadership and the Ministry of Defense have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move toward a ceasefire and a deal for the release of captives, given the current battlefield realities.

The paper added that both the army and Shin Bet, ‘Israel’s’ internal security agency, acknowledge that Hamas has set a “primary goal” of capturing a soldier during the ground campaign, and the security apparatus is working to stress the seriousness of this threat to all forces operating in Gaza.