The IDF has identified Capt. David Hazut as the officer killed overnight during operational activity in southern Lebanon, according to military sources. A post from a fellow soldier describes Hazut as an inspirational commander who rallied his men before falling in combat.
The IDF on Sunday named Capt. David Hazut as the officer killed overnight during operational activity in southern Lebanon, hours after the initial announcement. Hazut's unit was engaged in a building sweep in the Deir Siryan area when an armed operative ambushed the force, according to earlier reporting by The Zioneer. The terrorist who carried out the attack remains at large; IDF forces are continuing a manhunt in the area. A post circulated among soldiers and family members describes Hazut as an exceptional commander who 'set his soldiers on fire' before falling in the battle. The IDF has notified the family. Hazut's death adds to a heavy toll for Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon amid ongoing exchanges with Hezbollah, with at least 10 soldiers killed in the past week alone according to official IDF statements.
The identification of Capt. Hazut, 21, a Golani Brigade platoon commander from Ashkelon, was published by the military at 12:45 on Sunday, after an initial announcement earlier that morning that a platoon commander had been killed but had not yet named him. As The Zioneer reported at 12:21, Capt. Hazut fell during a building sweep in the village of Deir Siryan; a Hezbollah operative hiding on a stairwell opened fire at close range before fleeing. At 12:45, the IDF confirmed the operative had been eliminated. A separate post circulating among troops described Hazut as an inspirational commander who rallied his men before the battle.
The fighting in southern Lebanon has been intense in recent days. As The Zioneer reported on Saturday, the IDF confirmed five soldiers killed and 13 wounded in two separate incidents near Tebnit and Nabatieh, including a battalion commander. On Friday, four soldiers were killed overnight, and President Herzog identified them as including Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, commander of the 52nd Battalion. The same night, 17 more soldiers were wounded, two seriously, according to Israeli media reports. The rising toll has drawn criticism from family members of troops who, as The Zioneer reported, described soldiers feeling 'pretty down' and likening their position to 'ducks in a shooting gallery' during ongoing talks.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake