An Israeli colonel has been killed by a Hamas booby trap, becoming the most senior soldier so far to be killed in Gaza.
Col. Ehsan Daxa, the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, was killed by an explosive device on Sunday in Jabalia, once a refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Col. Daxa had left his tank and walked to an observation post where the explosive device was planted. The blast also left a battalion commander seriously injured, and two additional officers slightly hurt.
Hamas has killed dozens of Israeli soldiers by planting explosive devices on roads and inside civilian buildings across Gaza.
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, told The Telegraph earlier this year that when civilians were ordered to evacuate from Rafah in early May, Hamas put explosive devices “everywhere, in entire apartment blocks, to kill as many soldiers as possible”.
The death of Col. Daxa adds to the pressure of war fatigue amongst parts of the Israeli public.
With Israel’s defence establishment repeatedly saying that Hamas as a military no longer exists, many are pushing for the government to declare the war in Gaza over.
Despite immense military losses, Hamas still manages to kill Israeli soldiers across Gaza, due to their continued “pockets of resistance”.
At least 355 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the IDF launched its ground invasion last year.
The IDF said Col. Daxa was “an outstanding officer and a humble warrior” who left his studies on October 7 to join the war against Hamas. He was appointed commander of the 401st Brigade four months ago, having begun his career in the military in 2001.
Col. Daxa was awarded the IDF Chief of the General Staff Citation for his “bravery” during the 2006 Lebanon War, when he evacuated wounded soldiers under fire.
He also served as an operations officer in the Northern Command as well as the commander of the 474th Territorial Brigade stationed on the border with Syria.
A Druze of origin, Col. Daxa came from the town of Daliyat al-Karmel in northern Israel. The Druze minority in Israel has a long tradition of serving in the IDF, often in high-ranking positions.
‘An Israeli hero’
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the leader of the Druze community in Israel, said the army lost one of its “finest and most senior field commanders who led forces in battle”.
Rafik Halabi, the mayor of his hometown, also issued a statement, saying: “With sorrow, pain, and much grief, Daliyat al-Karmel, the IDF, the Druze community and the State of Israel say goodbye to one of its heroes.”
Col. Daza told Walla! News site in an interview last year that he felt “equal” to his comrades in the IDF.
“Someone who isn’t deeply involved can’t understand that. The IDF is truly a melting pot. It is a sane place. It includes everyone,” he said.
Col. Daxa was also praised by lawmakers from across the political spectrum. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, called him an “Israeli hero, a fighter and commander – an exemplar of the covenant with the Druze people”.
Benny Gantz, leader of the opposition party National Unity, said Col. Daxa is a reminder of the “sacrifice of Druze society as a whole, always, and especially in this difficult war. As we continue the battle, we must make sure that the entire Druze society feels equal and a part of our people”.
Finally, Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, said he saluted and embraced him and his family, the community of Daliyat al-Karmel, and “our sisters and brothers from the Druze community, who have lost many precious sons since the beginning of the fighting, with devotion, a sense of mission and shared destiny”.
Col. Daxa is the second colonel to be killed in fighting in Gaza, while three other colonels were killed in the Hamas terror attack on October 7. He leaves behind him a wife and three children.