The Gush Etzion Regional Council announced Wednesday evening that Maj. Harel Birnstock, 34, a company commander from Nokdim, fell in combat in Lebanon. Funeral arrangements are pending. The IDF has not yet officially cleared the name for publication.
The Gush Etzion Regional Council confirmed Wednesday evening the death of Maj. Harel Birnstock, 34, a company commander from the community of Nokdim in Judea, who fell in combat in Lebanon. The council's statement, which noted that his family has been notified, formally confirms his identity, following earlier reports that identified him as one of two soldiers killed in the incident.
The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday evening (at 22:54 Jerusalem) that two IDF soldiers from Battalion 2855 were killed and four wounded during operational activity in Lebanon. The fallen were identified as Maj. Birnstock and Master Sgt. Tamir Vaknin, a combat medic. The council's confirmation now solidifies the identification, though the military has not yet officially cleared the names for publication.
The incident adds to the toll of Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon operations in recent months. As The Zioneer reported in June, several IDF soldiers have fallen in the area, including in tank strikes and Hezbollah IED attacks, as the northern front remains active.
Funeral details for Maj. Birnstock remain pending. The IDF is expected to issue an official announcement on Thursday morning at 06:00, standard procedure for casualty notifications.
3 developments
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- StrongDefense Minister Katz eulogizes fallen 52nd Battalion commander and three soldiers in Lebanon
- StrongDefense Minister Katz sends condolences to family of fallen reservist Filin
- StrongPresident Herzog: Four soldiers killed in Lebanon combat including 52nd Battalion commander
Source and signal
- Open-source intake