6 IDF soldiers killed in firefight with Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon

Wednesday evening, the IDF Spokesman's office announced the names of six soldiers from the Golani Brigade who were killed during combat in southern Lebanon earlier that day.

The names of the fallen soldiers were: 

- Captain Itay Marcovich, aged 22, from Kokhav Ya'ir, a Platoon Commander.
- Staff Sergeant Sraya Elbom, aged 21, from Mehola, Squad Commander.
- Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, aged 20, from Gan Haim, Squad Sergeant.
- Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, aged 20, from Dimona, soldier.  
- Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sagron, aged 21, from Sderot, soldier.
- Sergeant Yoav Daniel, aged 19, from Nahariya, soldier. 

All six IDF fighters were from the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade and were killed Wednesday morning in an encounter with Hezbollah terrorists in a village in southern Lebanon. Another soldier was moderately wounded in the same battle. 

President Isaac Herzog eulogized the fighters in a post on X, saying, “Together with the entire people of Israel, I received with deep pain and sorrow the news of the fall of six Golani fighters, heroes of Israel, who fell defending the homeland in the battle against Hezbollah.”

“They fought for us with bravery, courage and dedication and for the defense of the people and the country,” Herzog continued, saying he is praying for “the speedy recovery of all the wounded in the war in body and soul.” 

The Golani Brigade and Brigade 188, fighting under Division 36, have been operating in recent days on the outskirts of the second line of villages in the western sector of southern Lebanon. The IDF has identified villages where Hezbollah had a known presence before the start of the ground campaign, either conducting launches, or storing weapons and ammunition in those locations. 

So far, the IDF has cleared most of the first line of those villages across the border region. As part of an offensive on new areas where the IDF has not previously conducted ground maneuvers, the Golani Brigade was clearing buildings in a limited maneuver, aimed at capturing strategic areas and locating weapons and launchers. The IDF has detected rocket fire on northern communities in recent weeks coming from some of these villages. 

As Battalion 51 launched an assault on several targets, entering and raiding several buildings, the force encountered at least four terrorists at close range, in a building believed to have been unoccupied, and a prolonged battle ensued with the terrorists. 

According to a report in Ynet, the IDF is investigating the possibility that the terrorists emerged from an underground combat shaft and therefore were not injured in the preparatory strikes that preceded the entry of the infantry fighters.

At the same time, an additional group of Hezbollah terrorists launched an attack on the IDF troops from nearby buildings, and thus the soldiers came under fire from multiple directions. 

The battle lasted around 3 hours, until the IDF gained control of the area. A seventh soldier was moderately wounded in the same battle. 

The battle occurred after several brigades operating in southern Lebanon were rotated out for a break, and defense officials had even spoken of releasing reserve forces.

However, with little evidence of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the IDF is now expected to keep some of the reserve units in Lebanon to continue applying military pressure on the terror organization. 

Ynet commentator Ron Ben-Yishai said that each time the IDF operates in an area where it has not operated before, the soldiers pay a high price for breaking the enemy's protective barriers.  He said that Hezbollah had learned from Israeli media and statements by Israeli politicians that the IDF had no intention of entering the second line of villages. Thus, Hezbollah barricaded itself in those villages and observed the IDF’s methods of operation as it cleared the first line. 

The military’s efforts in southern Lebanon do appear to be having an effect, as the number of short-range rocket launches has decreased in the area south of the Litani River.