The four soldiers killed in the tank disaster: their lives, their families and their final words

Four armored corps soldiers were killed in a deadly incident in southern Lebanon late last week, during the night between Thursday and Friday, while trying to rescue a stranded engineering vehicle. The dead were Lt. Col. Dor Gidalyah Ben Shimhon, Sgt. Liav Kvabia, Sgt. Yoav Klein and Sgt. Nove Havashush. Their families, friends and even strangers have been eulogizing them, and the Israel Defense Forces say the full picture is still being assembled.

According to the army’s preliminary assessment, a drone likely struck the rear corridor of the tank, causing severe damage and setting it on fire. The military is also examining whether an anti-tank missile was fired at the tank, and said it is certain the event was not an operational accident.

Ben Shimhon, 32, from Kibbutz Beit Hashita, became commander of Battalion 52 in the 401st Brigade only two months before he was killed. His wife, Ariel, a senior officer herself, said at the funeral that their 7 years together were filled with love and family life, and that he left her with two daughters, Ayala, 3, and Gaia, 1. She also said he came from a family of fighters, with five brothers serving in combat units. On Independence Day, he had written a commander’s letter to the battalion, saying they would return to their mission, “challenged and lethal,” determined “to defeat our enemies for the security of Israel’s residents.”

Havashush, 20, from Geva-Binyamin, was the third fallen soldier from that community and the 64th from the Binyamin Regional Council since the war began. He had grown up in Adam, studied at Beit Yatir pre-army academy, and planned to attend officers’ course. His father described him as someone who always helped others, saying, “He was simply a good boy. Everyone loved him. He always gave in, helped and contributed. He was an angel walking among us.” After his death, the family found notebooks in which he wrote about a deep sense of mission and a desire to serve with joy.

Klein, 21, from Herzliya, was a graduate of Herzliya’s Hayovel High School and a standout basketball player for Bnei Herzliya. His former homeroom teacher said he was much more than an excellent student, calling him a principled young man with a big heart and a contagious smile. The club and Herzliya Mayor Yair Fisher both paid tribute to him, saying he chose to leave home to defend the country. Kvabia, 20, from Hod HaSharon, left behind his parents and two siblings; Mayor Amir Kochavi said he loved music and the sea and had strong dreams and a desire to influence others.