Israel woke to a grim morning after reports that four soldiers were killed and four others wounded in two separate incidents in Lebanon. The deaths were in the south of Lebanon, and the wounded were evacuated for treatment. Families were notified, and the military said one reserve officer was seriously hurt in a drone-explosive strike, while three reserve noncommissioned officers and one active-duty NCO were lightly wounded.
The fallen were identified in part as Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimchon, commander of the IDF’s 52nd Battalion in the 401st Armored Brigade, along with three other armored corps soldiers whose names had not yet been cleared for publication. According to the article, Ben Shimchon took command about two months ago after the previous battalion commander was seriously wounded in fighting. The Galilee area council said he was a resident of Beit Shean, came from a family with strong military ties, left behind a wife who serves as a combat officer in the Intelligence Corps, and two young daughters.
The political reaction was immediate and sharply escalatory. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “Lebanon as a whole must burn,” and added, “On every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should cry.” He called for Israel to show the world that “the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens is not forfeit” and said the state must “eliminate” terrorism. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote, “A hard morning. Time to speak with fire. Open the gates of hell.”
Avigdor Liberman attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that if Dahieh in Beirut was still standing after four fighters were killed and families were destroyed, it showed a direct failure by the prime minister and defense minister. President Isaac Herzog issued a mourning statement, saying the country had awakened to “the bitter news” of four fallen soldiers in Lebanon and naming Ben Shimchon, while noting that the names of the other three had not yet been released. He expressed condolences to the families and prayed for the wounded and for all IDF and security personnel. The article also says 23 soldiers and one civilian Defense Ministry employee have been killed since the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect in April.
