Two Soldiers Noam Ravid and Yahli Sharor Killed in Rafah IED Blast During Tunnel Clearing Operation

Captain Noam Ravid, 23, from Shaare Tikva, and Sergeant Yahli Sharor, 20, from Omer, were killed on Saturday during an IDF operation in Rafah. The two soldiers, members of the elite Yahalam unit of the Combat Engineering Corps, were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated while they were clearing a booby-trapped shaft.

Two additional members of the Yahalam unit were injured in the explosion—one seriously and the other moderately.

In a separate incident, the IDF reported that a soldier from the 16th Brigade was seriously wounded during clashes in the northern Gaza Strip.

Remembering the Fallen

His parents and three siblings survive Captain Noam Ravid. He was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement in Shaare Tikva and served as a beloved instructor. The Shaar Shomron local council described him as “a role model and a deeply committed young man.” His funeral will be held today at 2:00 PM in the military section of the Elkana cemetery.

Sergeant Yahli Sharor was a graduate of the Omer Comprehensive School and the son of Ofir and Orly. His former teacher, Hila Harosh, wrote: “Our Yahli, my heart burns with pain. You were the heart of my class. The heart refuses to accept the bitter news.” Another teacher, Rachel Tzruya Mazuz, remembered him as “an amazing boy with a captivating smile and an incomparable way of life.”

Erez Badash, head of the Omer local council, also paid tribute: “Yahli was one of those people you meet — and immediately fall in love with. A big smile, a huge heart, a friend to everyone. A man of values, of love, of action.” Yahli’s funeral will occur at 4:00 PM in the military section of the cemetery in Omer.

Rising Casualties Since Resumed Fighting

Since Israel decided to resume operations in the Gaza Strip following the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, six IDF soldiers have been killed.

Last week, Sergeant Neta Yitzhak Kahane and Captain Ido Voloch lost their lives in combat in the Shajaiyah area. Two days earlier, Reserve Sergeant Assaf Kafri was killed by sniper fire in northern Gaza. Earlier that week, Sergeant Ghalib Suleiman al-Nassara was killed by an IED in Beit Hanoun.