Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon
Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon (1994–2026) was a senior IDF armored commander who served as the commander of the 401st Brigade's 52nd Battalion. He was killed in action in southern Lebanon in June 2026 while leading a strategic operation to capture Hezbollah's underground headquarters on the Ali Taher ridge.
Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon was a prominent field commander in the Israel Defense Forces, specifically within the 401st Armored Brigade ("Iron Tracks"). A resident of Kibbutz Beit HaShita, Ben Simhon rose through the ranks of the armored corps to lead the 52nd Battalion during the high-intensity maneuvering phase of the conflict in southern Lebanon. He assumed command of the battalion on April 20, 2026, under extraordinary circumstances, stepping in just one week after his predecessor was severely wounded in combat. Ben Simhon's leadership was defined by his immediate entry into complex operations aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's entrenched infrastructure. Prior to this role, he served as the Chief of Staff to the Head of Northern Command during Operation 'Arrows of the North.' On the night between June 18 and 19, 2026, Ben Simhon was killed when his Merkava IV tank was struck by a Hezbollah munition—identified in preliminary probes as an explosive drone—near the village of Tebnine. The incident occurred during a strategic mission to seize Hezbollah's primary underground headquarters on the Ali Taher ridge, a critical asset overlooking Nabatieh. Four other soldiers, including members of his tank crew and a Maglan commando, fell alongside him. His death prompted a significant policy shift by the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz declaring that attacks on IDF troops in southern Lebanon would henceforth be treated as ceasefire violations, triggering massive retaliatory strikes across Lebanon. Ben Simhon came from a family of combat soldiers, with four of his brothers also serving in the 401st Brigade. Shortly after his death, a recording surfaced of him singing the battalion anthem with his troops before their entry into Lebanon, in which he spoke of returning victorious from bloody battles.