Six Fallen Soldiers Brought to Burial After Deadly Tank Incident in Lebanon

Six Israeli soldiers were buried on Sunday, including four tank crew members killed in the deadly incident in southern Lebanon, and two additional IDF soldiers who fell in fighting there in recent days. The funerals were held across Israel, including at Kibbutz Beit HaShita, Kfar Saba, Mount Herzl, Herzliya, Haifa and a local cemetery near Kerem Maharal. The army said the four tank soldiers were killed shortly after midnight in the night between Thursday and Friday when a suspected aerial target struck a tank operated by Battalion 52 under the Givati Brigade combat team near the village of Taybeh.

In that same incident, an reserve officer was seriously wounded by a booby-trapped drone in southern Lebanon, and three reservist noncommissioned officers and one regular NCO were lightly hurt. Another incident, in the night between Friday and Saturday, killed Sgt. Maj. (res.) Alexander Filin, 29, of Haifa, after an explosive device detonated, and left 13 more soldiers wounded, including two seriously, one moderately and the rest lightly. The IDF said the fallen included Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, from Herzliya, Sgt. Noveh Havshush, 20, from Giv'at Benyamin, and Sgt. Liav Kababia, 20, from Hod HaSharon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The heart of the nation aches,” and vowed to continue efforts to restore security for northern residents. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the soldiers had been fighting Hizbullah and were defending the north, while ex-defense minister Yoav Gallant praised Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon as an outstanding officer and battlefield leader. Ben Simhon, 32, from Beit HaShita, had taken command only about two months ago after his predecessor, Lt. Col. Or Yul, was seriously wounded.

Local leaders and families described the dead as dedicated, accomplished young men. The head of Hof HaCarmel, Assif Izzak, called Ben Ari a “salt of the earth” fighter and said he would have turned 22 in a few days. Ben Ari’s father described him as “just a good kid,” and Ben Ari’s community said his mother and sister work for the Binyamin Regional Council. Kababia’s teacher and Hod HaSharon mayor Amir Kochavi said he loved music and the sea, and had dreamed of making an impact. Havshush had studied at the Beit Yatir pre-military academy, completed a tank commanders course and planned to attend officers’ training. Ben Simhon’s widow, Ariel, wrote that she had shared seven years of love with him and that their two daughters would know who he was. According to the IDF, 36 soldiers have been killed since fighting in the north resumed about three months ago, 22 of them after a ceasefire was declared, bringing total Israeli military deaths since the war began to 962.