Four Israel Defense Forces soldiers have been killed battling Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon, the military said on Tuesday morning.
The slain troops were named by the IDF as Capt. Noam Madmoni, 22, from Sderot; Staff-Sgt. Ben Cohen, 21, from Lehavim; Staff-Sgt. Maxsim Entis, 21, from Bat Yam; and Staff-Sgt. Gilad Harel, 21, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut. All four served in Reconnaissance Battalion 934, the Nahal Brigade’s special forces unit.
The four soldiers were reportedly killed during a close-range exchange of fire with Hezbollah terrorists in the western sector of Southern Lebanon.
Three other troops were wounded in the incident, one seriously, the military stated. They were evacuated to Israel for medical treatment and their families were informed.
The total death toll among Israeli troops since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre now stands at 935. Ten soldiers have been killed since the expansion of ground operations in Southern Lebanon in early March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the heart of the entire nation aches over the fall of four heroic Nahal Brigade Reconnaissance Unit fighters.”
“My wife and I, along with all citizens of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the dear families and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded,” he said in a statement published by his office. “Our brave soldiers fell in defense of our country after fighting with courage and utmost devotion against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
“We will continue to forcefully strike at our enemies in order to ensure the security of the residents of the north and all citizens of Israel. May the memory of our heroes be blessed and enshrined in our hearts forever,” the premier added.
On Monday, Sgt. Liran Ben-Zion, 19, from Holon in the greater Tel Aviv area, from the 9th Battalion of the 401st Brigade, was slain in Lebanon. An officer was seriously wounded in the same incident, according to the IDF.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and suicide drones at Israel on March 2, in retaliation for the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.
In response to the terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement with Lebanon, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah and ordered IDF troops to advance and take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks.
