Four soldiers of the Israeli army were killed in heavy fighting in southern Lebanon. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the soldiers were killed on Tuesday morning during a close-range exchange of fire with fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The fallen soldiers were Capt. Noam Madmoni, 22, from Sderot; Staff Sgt. Ben Cohen, 21, from Lehavim; Staff Sgt. Maxsim Entis, 21, from Bat Yam; and Staff Sgt. Gilad Harel, 21, from Modiin. All four served in Reconnaissance Battalion 934 of the Nahal Brigade, a special infantry unit.

🕯️FALLEN HEROES:
– Captain Noam Madmoni, aged 22, from Sderot, a team commander in the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon.

– Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, aged 21, from Lehavim, a soldier in the Nahal Reconnaissance… pic.twitter.com/DJ26S0Z8Zg

— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) March 31, 2026

The name of the fourth soldier was only recently cleared for publication.

🕯️ANOTHER FALLEN HERO:
Staff Sergeant Gilad Harel, aged 21, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, a soldier in the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon.

May his bravery never be forgotten.🙏🏻#israel #standwithisrael pic.twitter.com/Sy3cHT32XE

— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) March 31, 2026

According to military reports, the soldiers were engaged in a very close-range battle in the western sector of southern Lebanon. Such close combat is considered especially dangerous and indicates that Hezbollah fighters are still able to operate in immediate proximity to Israeli forces.

Three additional soldiers were also wounded in the incident, one of them seriously. The wounded were evacuated to Israel for medical treatment. Their families have been informed.

The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, has now risen to 935. Since the expansion of the ground offensive in southern Lebanon at the beginning of March, 10 soldiers have been killed, according to the army.

Another soldier had already fallen on Monday: Sgt. Liran Ben-Zion, 19, from Holon, who served in the 9th Battalion of the 401st Brigade. During the same operation, an officer was seriously wounded.

The fighting is part of Israel’s ongoing operations against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

Israel responded with intensified airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and expanded its ground operations. According to the army, the goal is to create a security zone along the border and stop the continuing attacks on Israel’s civilian population.

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