The Gilboa Regional Council released a statement mourning Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, killed in combat in southern Lebanon. Ben Simhon took command of the battalion two months ago during complex fighting, after the previous commander was seriously wounded, according to the local council.
The Gilboa Regional Council on Friday morning mourned Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, a resident of Kibbutz Beit Hashita, who was killed in combat in southern Lebanon — the fourth commander of the 52nd Battalion to be killed or wounded since October 7, as The Zioneer has reported. The council statement noted that Ben Simhon assumed command of the battalion about two months ago, during intense fighting and after his predecessor was severely wounded.
The IDF cleared for publication at 09:03 Friday that Ben Simhon, 32, commanded the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade. Three other soldiers were killed alongside him when a Hezbollah anti-tank missile struck his command tank near the village of Tebnine, north of Beaufort Castle, according to Israeli military sources. The Zioneer's preliminary reports at 09:03 cited an IDF probe that could not conclusively determine whether the munition was an anti-tank missile or an explosive drone; subsequent thread versions from 09:03 noted that the IDF later struck Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area in response. Earlier thread items at 09:03 reported that Ben Simhon had only assumed command in April, after his predecessor was seriously wounded.
Ben Simhon is the fourth battalion commander of the 52nd to be killed or wounded since the start of the war. Earlier commanders Lt. Col. Daniel Ella (wounded July 2024), Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev (wounded October 2024), and Lt. Col. A (wounded April 2026) were all previously reported as casualties by The Zioneer. The Gilboa Regional Council's tribute underscores the community's loss: Ben Simhon leaves behind a wife and two daughters, as Israel Hayom reported at 09:03.
The IDF continues to investigate whether the munition that struck the tank was an anti-tank missile or an explosive drone. The names of the three other soldiers killed alongside Ben Simhon have not yet been cleared for publication.
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 appoints fifth acting commander for 52nd Battalion since war began
- StrongIDF drone tracks Hezbollah operatives emerging from Beaufort tunnel, airstrike kills several
Source and signal
- Internal intake