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Brig.-Gen. Uri Gordin eulogizes fallen battalion commander Ben Simhon: 'He was like a son to me'

The Zioneer Intelligence DeskUpdated 20:24
Brig.-Gen. Uri Gordin eulogizes fallen battalion commander Ben Simhon: 'He was like a son to me'

Primary source Internal intake · 2 reviewed intake signals · Desk window 19:11–20:24

TL;DR

Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordin paid a personal tribute Friday to Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, the 52nd Battalion commander killed in southern Lebanon overnight, saying in a choked voice that Ben Simhon — who had once served as his aide — was like a son to him. Gordin also recalled fallen Col. Alhasan Daksa in the same breath.

01 · THE DISPATCH

Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordin paid a deeply personal tribute Friday evening to Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, the 52nd Battalion commander killed in southern Lebanon overnight. In a statement shared via a security source, Gordin — his voice described as choked — said he had known Ben Simhon since the officer served as his aide (ralash) when Gordin was Northern Command chief. 'He was like a son to me,' Gordin said. He also mentioned fallen Col. Alhasan Daksa, who commanded the 401st Brigade and was killed in July 2024 during operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Ben Simhon, a 32-year-old officer from Beit Hashita, took command of the 401st Armored Brigade's 52nd Battalion just two months ago after his predecessor, Daniel Ella, was severely wounded by a Hezbollah strike. As The Zioneer reported throughout Friday, the IDF cleared his name for publication earlier in the day, and President Herzog and other officials also eulogized him. The precise circumstances of the overnight incident that killed Ben Simhon and three crew members have not been published.

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This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.