Filipino IDF soldier among dead in Gaza blast — PH Embassy in Israel

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino soldier serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was among the casualties in an explosion in Gaza, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said on Wednesday. 

Sgt. First Class Cydrick Garin was one of the 21 IDF soldiers killed in an explosion in southern Gaza caused by the militant group Hamas on January 22.

According to the embassy, Garin’s parents are Filipinos. His mother is a native of Isabela province and currently lives in Tel Aviv.

His father, meanwhile, is yet to arrive in Israel. Garin’s father hailed from General Santos City.

"The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines is currently facilitating the travel of Sgt. Garin's father to Israel," the statement read.

"Israel shares the profound grief of Sgt. Garin's family and the Filipino community," the embassy added.

According to IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the soldiers were operating in an area 600 meters from the border across the community of Kissufim. He described the incident as the "biggest daily death toll" of the IDF. 

Jerusalem-based online newspaper Times of Israel reported that the blast in southern Gaza was caused by the firing of a rocket-propelled grenade by Hamas militants, which resulted in the collapse of the building where Garin and the other soldiers were positioned.

 On Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the death toll due to the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 25,000.

The Israeli airstrikes commenced in response to a sudden assault by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in an estimated 1,139 casualties. — with reports from Agence France-Presse