The IDF has confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in southern Lebanon following Hezbollah rocket attacks over the weekend. According to The Times of Israel, Sgt. Liran Ben Zion, 19, of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion, was killed by an anti-tank missile on Sunday. Sources also confirmed that Sgt. Moshe Yizhak Hacohen, 22, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, was killed the previous day. These incidents come amid a coordinated attack by Hezbollah and Iran that also caused a fire at the Haifa oil refinery.
Ben Zion was the sixth soldier to be killed following the IDF’s renewed offensive against Hezbollah. Two civilians have also been killed by Hezbollah rockets, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery shelling.
Hezbollah has been firing hundreds of rockets per day, according to the IDF. However, the vast majority of the daily rocket fire has been directed at Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon, with only a few dozen projectiles crossing the border into Israel.
In further separate incidents, two soldiers were seriously hurt by an anti-tank guided missile, and a soldier was seriously injured and two were moderately hurt by a Hezbollah drone that struck near Israeli forces in south Lebanon.
One more soldier was moderately wounded in an “operational accident” in southern Lebanon.
Ben Zion was a resident of Holon and served as a tank crewman. Yizhak Hacohen was originally from New Haven, Connecticut, and his family currently resides in both the United States and Israel. Their units are among four divisions operating in southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah threats.
Over the weekend, the Yemen-based Houthi terror group joined the conflict alongside Iran and its proxies. The Islamic Republic continues to launch strikes into central Israel, with Beit Shemesh struck once again. While no deaths were reported in that attack, 19 people were injured.
With the involvement of the Houthis, the deployment of additional U.S. troops, and increased attacks on Israeli energy infrastructure, the conflict appears to be escalating. This comes as Jews in Israel and around the world prepare to observe Passover this week.
The Fellowship and our supporters pray for the families of the fallen, the recovery of the wounded, and the safety of Israel and her people during this sacred time.
