Late yesterday morning, a fierce battle took place in one of the villages on the western front in Lebanon. The exact details of the battle have not yet been released, but from the information available so far, it appears that a platoon from Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion walked into a well-prepared Hezbollah ambush on the outskirts of the built-up area. The ambush involved close-range small-arms fire as well as anti-tank fire. Despite the initial severe losses, the Golani soldiers managed to overcome the militants, eliminating at least four Hezbollah operatives in the area. It is believed that the ambushers had evaded the prior artillery and airstrikes by hiding in a shaft or tunnel unknown to the IDF.
The price paid by the IDF was steep, with no fewer than six soldiers lost. Their names were gradually released during the evening: Captain Itay Markovitz, 22, from Kokhav Ya’ir, the platoon commander; Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, 20, from Gan Haim, the platoon sergeant; Staff Sergeant Saria Elboim, 21, from Mehola, a squad leader; Sergeant Shalev Sagron, 21, from Sderot, who had been evacuated from his home for most of the war; Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, 20, from Dimona, a computer whiz who chose to serve in a combat role; and Staff Sergeant Yoav Daniel, 19, from Nahariya, a national champion in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). So many names of remarkable young men, full of potential, taken in the prime of life, in the pursuit of the noble goal of Israel’s security.
President Herzog eulogized the fallen of the Golani Brigade: “Together with all of Israel, I received the news of the loss of these six Golani warriors, heroes of Israel who fell defending our homeland against Hezbollah, with deep sorrow and pain. They fight for us with courage, strength, and self-sacrifice to protect the people and the land. Each of them is a world unto himself, and behind each name is a family whose world has been shattered. I embrace the mourning families along with all those who have lost loved ones in this heavy conflict, and I pray for the swift recovery of all the wounded, in body and spirit, from this war.”
