The IDF released a detailed biography of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, 32, the 52nd Battalion commander killed in southern Lebanon alongside three soldiers. He took command two months ago after his predecessor was severely wounded, and led the battalion through two months of combat against Hezbollah. Ben Simhon is survived by his wife, a combat officer, and two daughters.
The IDF on Friday morning released the full military biography of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, the 52nd Battalion commander of the 401st Armored Brigade who was killed in southern Lebanon alongside three of his soldiers. The release came hours after his funeral began at 14:00 at the Beit HaShita cemetery, as The Zioneer reported at 09:03 Jerusalem Friday.
Ben Simhon, 32, of Beit Hashita, took command of the battalion two months ago, roughly a week after the previous battalion commander was severely wounded in combat. According to the military's statement, he assumed command "at a complex time" and led the battalion's soldiers through the ensuing two months of fighting with determination. As the thread has documented, the IDF's investigation into the overnight tank strike near the village of Tebnit — which killed Ben Simhon and three crew members around 00:20 — is ongoing; the military has said it cannot yet conclusively determine whether the munition was an explosive drone.
His military career was rooted in the Armored Corps. Ben Simhon served in the 401st Brigade for most of his key command roles, and later served as chief of staff to the head of the IDF's Northern Command during Operation Northern Arrows, until August. After attending command and staff college, he returned to field command in April and was appointed commander of the 52nd Battalion. Ben Simhon and his four brothers all enlisted in combat units — four in the 401st Brigade and one in the Golani Brigade, according to a post by Nitzan Shapira cited by The Zioneer at 09:46 Jerusalem Friday. His wife serves as a combat officer in the Combat Intelligence and Border Collection Corps. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
As the thread has recorded, Ben Simhon is the fourth commander of the 52nd Battalion to be killed or wounded since the Oct. 7, 2023, war began. The three soldiers killed alongside him have been identified by the IDF; the military also confirmed their names for publication later Friday. President Isaac Herzog mourned the four fallen soldiers earlier Friday, as The Zioneer reported. What remains open: the IDF probe into the precise nature of the munition that struck the tank has not reached a final conclusion, and Israel Hayom's initial report that Ben Simhon assumed command in April (published at 09:03 Jerusalem Friday) has not been independently verified by the military's own chronology of his appointment.
21 developments
- StrongPresident Herzog: Four soldiers killed in Lebanon combat including 52nd Battalion commander
- DevelopingLt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon and three soldiers killed in Hezbollah drone strike on tank in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF Lt. Col. Dor Ben-Shimhon's final letter to his troops published after his fall
- StrongDefense Minister Katz eulogizes fallen 52nd Battalion commander and three soldiers in Lebanon
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