Heavy fighting continues in Gaza. Tragically, 10 Israeli soldiers have fallen in the last day, 9 in a battle in the neighborhood of Shajayah in northern Gaza yesterday. The soldiers, who were from the Golani and 669 units, entered a building in Shajayah where Hamas terrorists were waiting to ambush them. The soldiers called reinforcements, but ultimately 9 soldiers were killed. Many of those who fell were high-ranking officers with wives and children at home. An additional reserve duty soldier tragically succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.

A sickening incident event occurred yesterday in which the grave of a soldier who fell in Gaza around a month ago was vandalized. When his mother went to visit her son’s resting place, she found that the grave itself as well as the Israeli flags placed around it had been marked with red Xs. Police are currently investigating the incident.

Northern Israel continues to experience frequent air raid sirens as Hizballah’s shelling of Israeli communities continues. Rockets struck homes in the city of Metula in northern Israel.

Please pray for the families of the fallen soldiers for comfort. Please also pray for safety for Israeli soldiers and civilians throughout Israel.