Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal eulogized Maj. Harel Birnstock, 34, a company commander from Nokdim who fell in combat in Lebanon. Rosenthal sent condolences to the family and offered strength to the reserve Paratroopers Brigade (55th), which he said suffered a heavy blow.
Tonight, Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal eulogized Maj. Harel Birnstock, 34, a company commander from Nokdim who fell in combat in Lebanon. The statement, published at 23:32 Jerusalem, came 20 minutes after the council's initial announcement of Birnstock's death, which The Zioneer reported at 23:12.
Rosenthal said: "We are pained by the fall of Harel, who grew up in Gush Etzion and made his home here, and send condolences to his parents, wife, children, siblings, and his entire family." He also sent "a hug and strength to my friends in the reserve Paratroopers Brigade (55th), which suffered a heavy blow today. I am here in the mountains of Gush Etzion and my heart is with you in the mountains of Lebanon."
The council confirmed Birnstock's death at 22:54 Jerusalem, after The Zioneer had identified him among the fallen soldiers in the same minute. Earlier reports at 22:54 indicated that two IDF soldiers from Battalion 2855 were killed and four wounded in operational activity in Lebanon, with Birnstock and Master Sgt. Tamir Vaknin named as the fallen. The chain of reports shows rapid confirmation from local authorities.
Birnstock was a career officer and company commander, representing the young leadership of the religious-Zionist and Gush Etzion communities. His death is part of ongoing IDF operations in southern Lebanon aimed at neutralizing threats to Israeli civilians. The formal IDF spokesperson's clearance for publication is still pending, and funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
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