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Relatives mourn over the coffin of Israeli army 1st Lt. Yehuda Bassel, 21 on Friday. (AP)
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| By Associated Press July 9, 2006 |
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An Israeli soldier killed last week during a military operation in the northern Gaza Strip was most likely shot by Israeli forces, an army commander said Sunday.
The soldier was the first Israeli casualty in the offensive that began July 28, after an Israeli soldier was kidnapped in an attack on an army base near the Gaza Strip.
The soldier, Staff Sgt. Yehuda Bassel, was shot in the head during an ambush operation near the town of Beit Lahiya. An initial investigation showed that Bassel was shot by friendly fire, Col. Tamir Yadai, an Israeli commander in Gaza, told Army Radio Sunday.
"We are in the advanced stages of the investigation," Yadai said. "We believe ... Yehuda was shot by friendly fire." More than 40 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive.
The army investigation into Bassel's killing will probably be completed later Sunday, Yadai said.
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