Thousands of people attended the funeral of Col. Ehsan Daqsa, the commander of the Israel Defense Force's 401st Armored Brigade, who was killed in the ongoing offensive against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip. Daqsa was remembered as a natural leader who combined self-confidence, resolve, and toughness with concern for his soldiers. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described him as one of the most prominent and excellent field commanders. Speakers at the funeral criticized the failure of successive Israeli governments to recognize the Druze community as equal to Jewish citizens. Daqsa was buried in the Druze military cemetery in Isfiya.