Defense Minister Israel Katz conveyed condolences Friday to the families of four soldiers who fell in combat in southern Lebanon, including Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 52nd Battalion. Katz said the IDF would respond forcefully to any Hezbollah ceasefire violation and stressed that forces will remain in the southern Lebanon security zone.
Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement Friday morning expressing condolences to the families of the four IDF soldiers killed in southern Lebanon, including Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 52nd Battalion (401st Armored Brigade). Ben Simhon, who took command after his predecessor was severely wounded, was killed alongside three crew members. Katz said the IDF will respond forcefully to any Hezbollah ceasefire violation, reaffirming the military's continued presence in the southern Lebanon security zone.
Earlier Friday, President Isaac Herzog also mourned the fallen, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized calls for a ceasefire, arguing a ceasefire will only hold when Hezbollah stops its attacks. The soldiers were killed in combat south of Nabatieh, as The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, in an ambush that triggered extensive Israeli retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure.
The official acknowledgment from Katz adds government-level confirmation of the casualties and the policy stance on the security zone, details of which had previously been reported by the IDF and the President.
2 developments
- StrongNetanyahu, Katz define Hezbollah attacks on IDF troops in southern Lebanon as ceasefire violations, ordering massive strikes
- StrongPresident Herzog: Four soldiers killed in Lebanon combat including 52nd Battalion commander
- DevelopingNetanyahu: I ordered the IDF to strike 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: 'We will not leave a situation where our soldiers are harmed unilaterally'
Source and signal
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