The Israeli military said an Israel Defense Forces soldier was shot dead on 9 July during an attempted abduction by armed militants in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. According to an initial IDF inquiry, the assailants emerged from an underground tunnel network and tried to seize the soldier, who fought back before being fatally wounded. The IDF stated that other troops in the area opened fire, striking several of the attackers. The soldier’s name has been withheld pending formal clearance for publication, and his family has been notified. The fatal clash is the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in the same sector. On 18 June, Staff Sergeant Stav Halfon, 20, of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, was killed by sniper fire during operations in Khan Yunis. The two incidents underscore the continued hazards facing Israeli forces operating in Gaza amid ongoing hostilities with Hamas.