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IDF forces identified Hezbollah terrorist cells in the area, and a close range firefight broke out.
By United with Israel Staff
The Israel Defense Forces cleared for publication Tuesday morning the names of four IDF soldiers who were killed in combat in southern Lebanon during a clash with Hezbollah terrorists.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Capt. Noam Madmoni, 22, from Sderot, a team commander in the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit; Staff Sgt. Ben Cohen, 21, from Lehavim, a fighter in the same unit; Staff Sgt. Maxsim Entis, 21, from Bat Yam, also a fighter in the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit; and Staff Sgt. Gilad Harel, 21, from Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, another soldier in the unit.
According to details released by the military, the incident occurred Monday evening at around 6:30 p.m. in the western sector of southern Lebanon, in an area under the command of the 162nd Division.
Nahal reconnaissance forces identified Hezbollah terrorist cells in the area, and a close-range firefight broke out between the troops and the terrorists. The soldiers returned fire, and the military said hits were identified on the attackers.
During the exchange of fire, several soldiers were wounded. While forces were evacuating the wounded to a designated landing zone, Hezbollah terrorists fired an anti-tank missile toward the troops, though no additional casualties were reported from that missile strike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement following the incident, saying, “The heart of the entire nation mourns the fall of four heroic Nahal reconnaissance soldiers. My wife and I, together with all the citizens of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the families and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded. Our brave soldiers fell defending our country after fighting with courage and dedication against the Hezbollah terrorist organization. We will continue to strike our enemies with force in order to ensure the security of the residents of the north and all Israeli citizens.”
The deaths come amid ongoing fighting in southern Lebanon, where several IDF soldiers have been killed in recent days during operations against Hezbollah. The escalation follows continued rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel since the group joined the war alongside Iran. The fighting continues to take a heavy toll on Israel’s soldiers and families.
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