Sgt. Liem Ben-Hamo, 19, from Herzliya, was killed in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Thursday. An additional soldier was wounded in the same incident and subsequently evacuated for medical treatment in moderate condition.
Ben-Hamo was a soldier in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He is survived by his parents, Galit and Moshe, and his two siblings, Koren and Daniella. The funeral will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Herzliya Cemetery.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences in a post on X/Twitter, saying, “Liem, of blessed memory, fought courageously and heroically against the terror organization Hezbollah, in order to protect the security of Israel.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz also issued a statement on social media. “On behalf of the entire security establishment, I send heartfelt condolences to [Sgt. Ben-Hamo’s] dear family,” Katz wrote on X.
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing party, the Democrats, wrote on X, “Liem is a symbol of the heroism of the generation of combat soldiers who stand at the front, risking their lives for Israel’s security.”
Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah launched two explosive drones toward members of the IDF’s 7th Armored Battalion, which was holding a position in the Marjayoun area of southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed.
One fell near the soldiers’ position, and the other was neutralized by military forces. During their retreat from the position, the members of the 7th Brigade attacked Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
Twelve IDF soldiers wounded in drone strike as fighting escalates along Lebanon border
Twelve IDF soldiers were wounded on Thursday after a drone struck an armored military vehicle near the northern community of Shomera, as drone incursion sirens blared across northern communities throughout the morning.
According to the IDF, two soldiers were moderately wounded, and 10 others sustained light injuries after a Hezbollah explosive drone struck an armored vehicle, igniting a fire and reportedly triggering secondary explosions of ammunition inside.
Tobias Siegal contributed to this report.