By Gabe Kahn
The IDF spokesman on Friday identified the soldier killed this morning in a gunfight in Gaza as Sgt. Nathaniel Moshiashvili, 21.
Moshiashvili's family was notified of his death shortly after the incident.
He will be laid to rest at the military cemetery in Ashkelon, the city from which he hails, later on Friday.
The family prefers a private service, and has asked the media not attend the funeral.
The pre-dawn shootout occurred around 04:00 (GMT+2) when a Gaza-based terrorist sought to take advantage of a thick fog to pass through a hole he'd cut in the Gaza security fence.
A unit from the Golani brigade responded and came under fire from the terrorist, which killed Moshasoili. The terrorist was killed when artillery soldiers returned fire.
Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack. However, the IDF said it holds the Hamas terror organization, which rules Gaza, responsible for all terrorism emmanating from its territory.
A mortar attack from Gaza on the Eshkol region in the Negev occurred around noon on Friday.
Last week, another officer and soldier from the Golani Brigade were moderately wounded by Gaza sniper fire in the same area.
