The deputy commander of Israel’s 36th Division, who was moderately wounded on Wednesday in southern Lebanon, is a decorated officer who received a major-command citation about two decades ago for bravery in the Gaza Strip. The same incident in Lebanon killed reserve Master Sgt. Alexander Filin, 29, of Haifa, after an explosive device detonated during an infantry operation near the Litani River area.
According to the citation, on July 21, 2007, the officer led troops from the Golani Brigade’s Barak Battalion after suspicious movement was spotted near the Gaza border fence. The force encountered two militants at very close range. The company commander and platoon commander charged one attacker while directing their soldiers, then the commander spotted a second militant between himself and his troops and ordered them to lie down before rushing him.
During the assault, the officer ran out of ammunition and, at the risk of his life, leapt at the militant with his bare hands. He realized the attacker was about to throw a fragmentation grenade, grabbed him, and absorbed most of the blast. Even after being wounded in the explosion, he kept holding the militant until the soldiers killed him.
In comments to Channel 7 before the ground maneuver in Gaza, he told his troops to look back at Be’eri and understand the purpose of the war. “The October 7 event cut into all of our hearts,” he said, adding that the soldiers were “brave, determined and focused on destroying Hamas.” He also said he did not see any force that could stop the army in Gaza, claiming it was advancing wherever it wanted and destroying infrastructure and weapons.
The explosion that wounded him and killed Filin also injured a reserve battalion commander and a reserve fighter, both moderately, plus a warrant officer, two reserve fighters and a reserve female soldier, all lightly injured.
