An IDF disaster in southern Lebanon killed four soldiers from Battalion 52, including its commander, Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimon, 32, of Beit Hashita. Three other soldiers were also killed in the incident, and their names have not yet been released to the public after notification of their families.
According to the initial military inquiry, the fatal event happened overnight at around 12:20 a.m. when a suspicious object hit a tank operated by Battalion 52 forces under the Givati Brigade combat team in the area of the village of Tabanit. The army said the incident is still under investigation.
The IDF said it cannot yet determine definitively whether the tank was struck by an explosive drone. Ben Shimon had recently taken command of Battalion 52, replacing Lt. Col. A after A was seriously wounded in combat in southern Lebanon about two months ago.
Following the incident, the IDF struck numerous Hezbollah targets in Nabatieh and other areas in southern Lebanon. Lebanese reports said 16 people were killed in the strikes.
