Israel's youth bearing the brunt of Gazan war
The war, which has claimed the lives of over 56,000 Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins, has displaced nearly its entire population of more than two million, 55% of whom are children. But the conflict is also exacting a heavy toll on Israel's youth. As previously reported, the vast majority of Israeli soldiers killed or wounded are between the ages of 18 and 21.
Of the 23 soldiers who died in the past month—a period marked by intensified Israeli military operations—five were teenagers (aged 18 to 19), nine were 20 years old, and six were 21. The remaining casualties included one 25-year-old and two 28-year-olds.
The latest fatality occurred on Thursday, when Captain Reel Biran, 21, of Shorashim, was killed in southern Gaza during a demolition operation. According to an Army Radio report, Biran—a squad commander in the Golan Reconnaissance Unit of the Golani Brigade—died when explosives detonated two hours after they were rigged. He was posthumously promoted to captain.
Below is the full verified list of the 23 soldiers killed in Gaza over the past month:
July 2025
July 11: Capt. Reel Biran, 21, Shorashim – Golan Reconnaissance Unit, Golani Brigade. Killed in an explosion during a demolition operation in southern Gaza.
July 10: Master Sgt. (res.) Avraham Azulay, 25, Yitzhah – Southern Command Engineering Unit. Died in an ambush in Khan Younis during an attempted abduction by militants.
July 8:
Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21, Beit Shemesh – 97th Battalion, Kfir Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 28, Haifa – Northern Brigade, Gaza Division. Killed in northern Gaza.
Staff Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, Jerusalem – 97th Battalion, Kfir Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, Jerusalem – 97th Battalion, Kfir Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
Staff Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, Jerusalem – 97th Battalion, Kfir Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
July 4:
Sgt. Yair Eliyahou, 19, Ezer – Combat Engineering Corps, Northern Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
Sgt. Asaf Zamir, 19, Dimona – 53rd Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
July 2: Sgt. Yaniv Michalovitch, 19, Rehovot – 82nd Battalion, 7th Armored Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
June 2025
June 29: Sgt. Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, 20, Raanana – 601st Combat Engineering Battalion, 401st Armored Brigade. Killed in northern Gaza.
June 24:
Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21, Kiryat Ata – Combat medic, 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, Kfar Yona – Platoon Commander, 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, Rehovot – 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, Eshhar – 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20, Elyakhin – 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19, Mazkeret Batya – 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21, Ashkelon – 605th Engineering Battalion, 188th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Cpl. Eitan Zacks, 18, Be'er Sheva – Multidimensional (888) Unit trainee. Killed by an Iranian missile strike on his home.
June 18: Staff Sgt. Stav Halfon, 20, Petah Tikva – 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, 7th Armored Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
June 16:
Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, Nokdim – 12th Battalion, Golani Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
Capt. (res.) Tal Movshovitz, 28, Re'ut – Deputy Company Commander, 7086th Combat Engineering Battalion, Golani Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
June 14: Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, 21, Jerusalem – Squad Commander, 92nd Battalion, Kfir Brigade. Killed in southern Gaza.
A War Claiming the Youngest
The names of the fallen—many barely out of high school—reflect a grim reality: a conflict consuming a generation on both sides. As Israel presses forward with its military campaign, the rising death toll underscores the human cost of a war with no clear end in sight.
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