The Gilboa Regional Council released a statement Friday morning honoring the fallen commander, noting he took command of the battalion two months ago after the previous commander was severely wounded during complex fighting.
The Gilboa Regional Council released a statement Friday morning mourning Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, the battalion commander from Beit Hashita who fell in combat overnight. According to the council, Ben Simhon assumed command of the battalion two months ago, during intense fighting and after the previous commander was seriously wounded — a detail that aligns with the timeline The Zioneer has previously reported: his predecessor was wounded in a battle in southern Lebanon around two months ago.
The IDF cleared the name of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, for publication at 09:03 Friday (Jerusalem time), identifying him as commander of the 52nd Battalion, 401st Armored Brigade. By 09:03, the military had already published a preliminary investigation showing the incident occurred shortly after midnight near the village of Tebnit, north of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, when a suspicious munition — possibly an explosive drone — struck his command tank, killing him and three other soldiers. Initial reports from Israel Hayom (also at 09:03) stated he assumed command in April; later versions of the thread expanded that to note the battalion had lost three previous commanders since October 7 — Lt. Col. Daniel Ella (wounded July 2024), Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev (wounded Oct 2024), and an unnamed commander (wounded April 2026). The IDF has since launched retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area and other parts of southern Lebanon.
As The Zioneer reported at 09:32 Friday, Ben Simhon was 32, married, and a father of two. A separate report at 10:07 noted that a reserve officer was severely wounded and four NCOs lightly injured in another Hezbollah drone attack during ongoing friction in the security zone.
The IDF probe has so far not conclusively determined whether the munition that struck the tank was an explosive drone; the investigation continues. The names of the three other soldiers killed in the same incident 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