Maj. Tal Pshebilski Shaulov, 24, from Gedera, St.-Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun, 20, from Modi'in, Sgt. Yair Levin, 20, from Givat Harel, and Sgt. Almog Shalom, 19, from Kibbutz Hamadia were killed Monday night in an incident in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip in which a building collapsed, the IDF announced on Tuesday.
In the incident where the four fighters fell, another officer was seriously wounded, and five fighters were moderately injured.
Area of incident heavily saturated with terror shafts, trapped houses
An investigation of the incident revealed that Givati Soldiers entered a three-story building in the Al-Bura neighborhood in the city of Rafah, which is considered an area saturated with terrorist shafts, trapped houses, and many weapons.
During a joint attack with the Nahal Brigade, the force threw a concussive charge into the building that was supposed to trigger the activation of IEDs. After it was thrown, fighters entered, and only then did the explosion occur that collapsed the building and led to the death and injury of six.
At this point, it is unclear why the charges were not activated after the concussive charge was thrown.
All of the soldiers involved in the incident were from the Givati Brigade.
Tributes for the fallen soldiers
Head of Gedera Local Council, Sahar Pinto, said of Pshebilski Shaulov, "The heart is broken and Gedera is in mourning. Tal, a hero of Israel and a company commander in training in the Givati patrol, sacrificed his life fighting for the security of Israel and its residents."
Modi’in Mayor Haim Bibas wrote of Karlsbrun, "We wake up this morning to the very difficult news of the fall of the city's resident, St.-Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun, a Givati patrol fighter, who fell yesterday during an operational activity in the Gaza Strip."
"Eitan, a graduate of Maccabim Reut High School, is survived by his parents and three sisters," Bibas added.
The mother of Shalom spoke at her son's funeral and was quoted as saying by the Army radio, "My dear boy, thank you for being mine. Thank you for the amazing conversations,"
"You smiled and continued to win hearts. You did everything to surprise your brothers at school. I love you, my boy."
Levin was the grandson of former MK Moshe Feiglin. Feiglin's staff released a statement that read, Yair Levin, a fighter of the Givati patrol, a resident of Givat Harel in Binyamin, fell last night in battle in the Gaza Strip."
"All of us in the 'Zehut' family and the 'Israel Tomorrow' community share in the pain of Moshe, Tzipi, and the entire Feiglin family.