Five Israeli soldiers killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack in southern Lebanon, a day after five others were killed in a pair of incidents.
By World Israel News Staff
Five IDF soldiers were killed during a Hezbollah rocket attack in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the IDF announced Friday, after the soldiers’ identities were cleared for publication by the army censor.
The soldiers, all reservists, were from the 89th Battalion of the IDF’s 8th Armored Brigade.
They included 43-year-old Major Dan Maori of Beit Yitzhak, the battalion’s deputy commander, and 28-year-old Alon Safrai from Jerusalem, a tank officer.
Chief Warrant Officer Omri Lotan, 47, of Bat Hefer, Chief Warrant Officer Guy Idan, 51, of Kibbutz Shomrat, and Staff-Sergeant-Major Tom Segal, 28, of Ein Habesor, were also killed in the attack.
In addition to the 5 fatalities in the Hezbollah attack, 19 other IDF reservist soldiers were injured, including 5 who were seriously injured.
According to a preliminary investigation by the Israeli military, a Hezbollah rocket struck a building in southern Lebanon where the 89th Battalion was receiving an incoming supply convoy.
One of the fallen soldiers, Guy Idan, has been identified as the cousin of Tsahi Idan, a hostage taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7th after they invaded his home town of Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
Five more soldiers were killed and seven wounded in a pair of incidents in southern Lebanon Wednesday night and Thursday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 10 from Wednesday night through Thursday.
The soldiers include Warrant Officer (res.) Mordechai Haim Amoyal, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shmuel Harari, Master Sgt. (res.) Shlomo Aviad Nayman, and Sgt. First Class (res.) Shuvael Ben-Natan and Sgt. First class Guy Ben-Harosh, 23.
Four of the soldiers, including Amoyal, Harari, Nayman, and Ben-Natan, were killed when Hezbollah terrorists hidden underground ambushed the soldiers as they passed by, hurling grenades at them.