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Major (res.) Itamar Sapir killed in combat in southern Lebanon

A terrorist fired at Israeli forces from the vicinity of a church while troops were operating in southern Lebanon.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir, 27, from the settlement of Eli, was killed during fighting in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced Tuesday.

Sapir served as deputy company commander in Battalion 7008 of the 551st “Arrows of Fire” Brigade and is survived by his wife, Roi, and their one-and-a-half-year-old son, Maayan.

His funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the military cemetery in Ra’anana and will be open to the media.

According to the information released, a terrorist fired at Israeli forces from the vicinity of a church while troops were operating outside the compound in the Khouza area of southern Lebanon.

Sapir was killed in the attack. Following the shooting, Israeli forces carried out strikes on several infrastructure targets in the area and continued operations aimed at locating the assailant.

The Binyamin Regional Council announced Sapir’s death in a statement, saying: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death in battle in southern Lebanon of Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir, of blessed memory, son of Yehuda and Rivki Sapir, residents of Eli.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a statement mourning Sapir. “We received with great pain the news of the fall of Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir, a resident of Eli, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.

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He described Sapir as “a courageous commander who fought bravely against Hezbollah terrorists in order to defend our northern border.” Netanyahu added that Israel sends “deep condolences to his family and embraces them in this difficult hour.”

The city of Ariel also paid tribute to Sapir, with Mayor Yair Chetboun and members of the city council describing themselves as “pained, shocked and deeply mourning” the death of the resident they called “a hero of Israel.”

The municipality said Sapir had been studying electrical engineering at a university and “sacrificed his life and fell in a heroic battle in southern Lebanon while fulfilling his duty in defense of the security of the State of Israel and its residents.”