Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a soldier killed in Gaza on Wednesday died in a "friendly fire" incident. This statement followed an earlier report from the Israeli military identifying the deceased as Staff Sergeant Ofri Yafe, 21, who was initially reported as killed in combat in southern Gaza.
Netanyahu conveyed his condolences to the Yafe family, stating the soldier "fell in a painful friendly fire incident" in the Palestinian territory. This incident marks the fifth Israeli soldier death in Gaza since a ceasefire began on October 10.