Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, the 52nd Battalion commander killed in southern Lebanon on Friday, had taken command two months ago after his predecessor, Daniel Ella, was severely wounded by a Hezbollah strike, according to a post circulating on Israeli security channels. Ben Simhon led the 401st Armored Brigade's battalion for just two months before being killed in the same sector.
Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, was killed in southern Lebanon on Friday when a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile struck his command tank near the village of Tebnit, north of the Beaufort fortress, at around 00:20 Jerusalem. The IDF confirmed the death of Ben Simhon and three other soldiers of the 52nd Battalion (401st Armored Brigade). The attack marked the fourth commander of the 52nd Battalion to be killed or wounded since October 7, a development first reported by The Zioneer at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem. Hezbollah released footage and an operational account claiming responsibility for the strike, as The Zioneer reported at Fri 09:58 Jerusalem, and later at Fri 15:33 Jerusalem. The group said it hit three Merkava tanks with ATGMs and shelled the force with artillery, according to a bulletin published at Fri 16:51 Jerusalem. The IDF launched reprisal strikes on Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area, as reported at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem.
Ben Simhon took command of the 52nd Battalion just two months ago, replacing Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, who was severely wounded by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile strike in July 2024. The rapid succession of commanders in the same sector — the predecessor wounded, the replacement killed — was first noted by The Zioneer at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem, and later confirmed by the IDF's full biography published at Fri 11:33 Jerusalem. The fallen commander is survived by his wife, a combat officer, and two daughters, per the IDF biography and reports from Army Radio (N13) cited at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem. His funeral began at 14:00 at the Beit HaShita cemetery, as reported at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem.
The toll on armored brigade leadership underscores the intensity of Hezbollah's anti-armor capabilities in southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Netanyahu eulogized Ben Simhon and said he ordered strikes on over 80 targets after the ceasefire violation, as The Zioneer reported at Fri 14:22 Jerusalem. President Herzog also mourned the fallen, noting Ben Simhon took command after his predecessor was wounded (Fri 10:42 Jerusalem). As The Zioneer reported on its topic page (Fri 12:28 Jerusalem), Ben Simhon (1994–2026) was a senior IDF armored commander.
The exact munition used in the tank strike remains under investigation by the IDF, which said it cannot conclusively determine whether it was an anti-tank guided missile or an explosive drone, as reported at Fri 09:03 Jerusalem. The circumstances of the ambush are still being probed.
24 developments
- DevelopingIDF says it eliminated dozens of Hezbollah operatives, reveals strategic underground infrastructure near Beaufort
- StrongDefense Minister Katz eulogizes fallen 52nd Battalion commander and three soldiers in Lebanon
- StrongIDF drone tracks Hezbollah operatives emerging from Beaufort tunnel, airstrike kills several
- StrongPresident Herzog: Four soldiers killed in Lebanon combat including 52nd Battalion commander
Source and signal
- Internal intake