Israeli Soldier Killed in Gaza Had Celebrated Wedding During Al-Aqsa Mosque Raid Months Earlier

Watan-A far-right Israeli group announced Thursday that a soldier killed in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Wednesday had previously celebrated his wedding by storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem three months ago.

The group, calling itself “Temple Mount Updates,” shared an image via its WhatsApp channel showing soldier Abraham Azulai with settlers in front of the Dome of the Rock, during a raid on the mosque compound.

The group wrote:“Abraham Azulai, who fell (was killed) in Gaza during combat, ascended (raided) the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque) three months ago for his wedding celebration.”

Most Israelis avoid entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque due to a Jewish religious ruling dating back to 1967. However, far-right groups continue to call for the destruction of the mosque and the rebuilding of a Jewish temple in its place.

On Thursday, far-right Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party posted a video of Azulai on the platform X (formerly Twitter), showing him operating a bulldozer to demolish Palestinian homes in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Sukkot commented:“Abraham Azulai demolishing a house in Rafah.”

Later Wednesday evening, the Israeli army confirmed that Reserve First Sergeant Abraham Azulai, an engineering equipment operator, was killed during a clash in Khan Younis.

The army claimed that Palestinian fighters attempted to abduct Azulai, but Israeli forces on-site opened fire, injuring several fighters and thwarting the kidnapping attempt.

Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for killing the soldier, noting that “field conditions prevented his capture.”

This marked the first such attempted abduction in 14 months, part of intensified Palestinian resistance against what has been widely described as Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi described the war as “one of Israel’s most complex and difficult wars,” according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Since October 7, 2023, and under full U.S. backing, Israel has carried out a campaign of mass killing in Gaza, leaving over 195,000 Palestinians killed or injured, the majority of them women and children, with more than 10,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Despite the devastation, the Al-Qassam Brigades continues to report daily operations targeting Israeli soldiers and military vehicles across the Gaza Strip.

This war follows five major Arab-Israeli wars: 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982, as well as a recent 12-day Israeli war on Iran in June 2025.

According to official Israeli army data, 888 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 6,076 injured since the beginning of the war, although Israel maintains strict censorship over the full extent of its military losses.