Maj. Yaniv Kula, who considered the soldiers under his command as his '70 children', and Staff Sgt. Itay Yavetz, an accomplished triathlete and participant in the Future Commanders Program, were the latest to fall in an incident near Rafah. Both were part of the elite Nahal Brigade and hailed from the city of Modi'in‑Maccabim‑Re'ut, which has lost 37 soldiers since October 7, 2023. Kula had recently taken command after the previous leader was killed in Beit Hanoun, expressing a sense of duty with the words, 'Now it's my turn.' Their deaths occurred more than a week after a ceasefire and partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.