Mother Mourns Second Childhood Friend Lost in Gaza Conflict

A grieving mother is mourning the loss of her son's childhood friend, Nadav Kali, who was killed in Gaza just under three years after her own son, Itai Saadoun, also died in the conflict. Liatt Shadeh Saadoun shared her sorrow on Facebook, posting childhood photos of her son and Nadav, who grew up together in the community of Har Halutz. She described their shared childhood, playing in the street and participating in neighborhood events, and how their families lived across from each other.

Saadoun reflected on her past dreams of seeing her son Itai raise his own children in Har Halutz, imagining herself as a grandmother watching grandchildren play, a stark contrast to her current reality. "But Itai is dead, and now Nadav is dead too. And I meet with the mothers mostly at the cemetery," she wrote, expressing her disbelief and pain as she looks through old photos.

Nadav Kali, 24, from Har Halutz, and Ofek Moalem, 23, from Jerusalem, both reservists and fighters in the 7007th Battalion, were killed in Gaza on Thursday. Their deaths occurred during an unusual incident involving an Israeli military drone. The initial investigation suggests that two explosive drones were launched from a post in northern Gaza to eliminate a terrorist. The first drone reached its target, but the second drone, for reasons still under investigation, returned towards the soldiers and crashed into a structure within the post.

When Kali and Moalem approached the malfunctioning drone to collect it, it detonated, causing severe injuries. Both soldiers were evacuated to the hospital, where their deaths were pronounced. In response to the incident, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has ordered the formation of a special expert team to investigate the circumstances and prevent future occurrences. The military has also temporarily suspended all operations involving explosive drones of the "Bat" type and others pending the technical review. The possibility of enemy electronic warfare interference is also being examined, though it is currently assessed that Hamas lacks advanced electronic warfare capabilities.