The IDF on Thursday released emotional footage of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimon, commander of Battalion 52, speaking to his soldiers moments before crossing into Lebanon. In the recording, he stresses the need to return home safely and frames the mission around duty, trust, and personal responsibility.
Ben Shimon, who was killed days earlier, tells the troops, "I am Dor Ben Shimon, married to Ariel, two daughters, Ayala and Gaia. That is me, and that is why I intend to come back." He also tells them, "Anyone here, for me, represents the Israeli fighter. We are going in with a strong attack, I trust you. We are going on a mission and coming back from it."
The IDF said the material was published this morning, Thursday, shortly after his death. Ben Shimon, 32, from Kibbutz Beit Hashita, fell in battle in southern Lebanon last week, along with three other soldiers. They were killed when a booby-trapped drone was fired at the tank they were in near the village of Taybe.
According to the report, Ben Shimon took command of Battalion 52 in April 2026, during a difficult period of fighting, and led his soldiers with determination and responsibility until his death on the Lebanon front.
