Overview

• Gerlic died in an operational accident involving an IDF explosive device in southern Gaza, and the army has opened an investigation into the detonation.
• An IDF platoon commander in the Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, he was the first Israeli soldier reported killed in Gaza this month.
• Since October 7, 2023, the IDF has reported 899 soldiers killed, including 454 deaths in the Gaza Strip.
• More than 70 of the Gaza fatalities resulted from operational accidents such as friendly fire, tank mishaps, unexpected detonations of IDF devices and erroneous Air Force strikes.
• Gerlic was from the southern Israeli community of Meitar, where the mayor publicly mourned him; he is survived by his parents and two siblings.