The IDF announced on Monday that Lt. Col. G will take command of Battalion 52, replacing Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimon, who was killed four days ago when a tank exploded in southern Lebanon along with three other soldiers, Sgt. Naveh Havshush, Sgt. Yoav Klein and Sgt. Liav Chbabia. The appointment was approved the day before in a staffing meeting led by Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, and G is due to assume the post in the coming days.
Lt. Col. N, the deputy commander of Brigade 401, had been serving temporarily as battalion commander after Ben Shimon’s death and will now return to his previous role. According to the IDF, G began his career in Armored Brigade 188, later served as operations officer in Fire Brigade 215 after the war began, then commanded a control center in the Northern Brigade and fought in Gaza. Over the past year he established the Dead Sea control center, also known as "Nir Battalion 843."
Ben Shimon took command of Battalion 52 about two months ago after Lt. Col. A was seriously wounded in combat in southern Lebanon. The fallen commander was described as having led the battalion through an intense period of fighting with determination and responsibility. He grew up in the Armored Corps and most of his significant command roles were in Brigade 401. He later served as head of the Northern Command commander’s office during Operation "Northern Arrows" until residents returned, finished that post in August last year, attended the Command and Staff College, and returned to field command in April.
Ben Shimon leaves behind a wife and two daughters. He came from a family of fighters, with four brothers also enlisting in Brigade 401 and another brother joining Golani. His wife serves as a combat officer in the Combat Intelligence and Border Corps. The circumstances of the fatal incident are still under investigation. Two days ago it was revealed that the team had been taking part in an operation to seize a fortified Hezbollah compound in the Ali Tahar ridge area, now under operational control, where the army says dozens of militants are trapped. The incident occurred near the village of Tbinin, south Lebanon, near Nabatieh, around 12:20 a.m., when a suspicious object struck the tank of Battalion 52 troops operating under the Givati Brigade combat team. The IDF has not yet determined what hit the tank, but ruled out an accident or malfunction and said the strike came from outside, possibly an explosive drone or an anti-tank missile.
