The IDF on Sunday evening published the words of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimhon, commander of Battalion 52, who was killed in the tank disaster shortly before his unit entered Lebanon. In the recording, he told his troops, “This is the time to act, I trust you and am proud to join your ranks. With our heads held high, we will return from our mission after blood-soaked battles, and as victors we will raise our flag.”
Ben Shimhon had taken command of Battalion 52 only two months earlier. The battalion has suffered repeated command losses during fighting in Lebanon and Gaza, with commanders being wounded one after another.
He replaced Lt. Col. Daniel Ela, who had led the battalion at the start of the fighting in the Gaza Strip and briefly returned to the role two months ago after Lt. Col. A., then the battalion commander, was severely wounded in southern Lebanon by shell fragments while pursuing militants. Lt. Col. A. had commanded the unit from the outbreak of the war, “Swords of Iron,” and was moderately wounded in the fighting in Rafah in July 2024.
Before evacuation, Ela took the radio, spoke to his soldiers and sent them a message of encouragement. “Wipe them out,” he said. “I’m going to the hospital and coming back.” He was later replaced by Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev, who was also seriously wounded three months after taking the post and has since undergone a long and complex rehabilitation.
