The IDF confirmed Sunday the identities of four soldiers killed in the tank incident in southern Lebanon: Lt.-Col. Dor Gedalia Ben-Simhon, 32, Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, and Staff Sgt. Liav Kababia, 20 — all of the 52nd Battalion, 401st Brigade. The announcement brings the total number of fallen from the incident to five, after Staff Sgt. Naveh Havshush was named earlier Sunday.
The IDF on Sunday released the names of three more soldiers killed in the tank incident in southern Lebanon: Lt.-Col. Dor Gedalia Ben-Simhon, 32, Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, and Staff Sgt. Liav Kababia, 20 — all from the 52nd Battalion (401st Armored Brigade). The confirmation brings the total number of fallen in the single incident to five, following the earlier naming of Staff Sgt. Naveh Havshush at 07:49 Sunday and Staff Sgt. Nir Ben Ari at 10:59.
The thread of announcements unfolded rapidly Sunday morning. At 07:49, the IDF initially cleared for publication the names of four soldiers — though successive versions carried inconsistent totals and names, reflecting a fast-moving identification process. By 08:05, The Zioneer reported the fourth name alongside the battalion commander; at 09:17, Havshush was confirmed as the fifth soldier. The current announcement at 11:35 consolidates the commander and two of the three crew members, with Ben Ari's name also cleared separately. The tank was struck by a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile near the village of Tebnit, according to footage released by Hezbollah on Friday, which The Zioneer reported at 15:33 Friday as unverified. The IDF has not specified the exact munition used.
Hezbollah released footage claiming to show the strike on Friday, as The Zioneer reported. The tank incident marks one of the heaviest single losses for the 401st Armored Brigade in the campaign. The 52nd Battalion commander, Lt.-Col. Ben-Simhon, was among the fallen. The IDF continues ground operations in southern Lebanon, with combat incidents and casualties reported intermittently since early June, including a separate IED incident on Wednesday that killed a reservist, as The Zioneer reported on Thursday.
The IDF has not yet published a unified casualty list confirming all five names in a single announcement. The inconsistent numbering across early versions — ranging from four to six casualties — suggests that identification and notification procedures are still being completed for all those killed in the incident.
6 developments
- DevelopingIDF announces fifth soldier killed in southern Lebanon tank incident
- StrongIDF names fourth soldier killed alongside 52nd Battalion commander in southern Lebanon
- StrongHezbollah footage claims to show anti-tank missile strike on IDF tank that killed four soldiers
- StrongIDF names two soldiers killed in separate southern Lebanon operations Saturday
Source and signal
- Internal intake