The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday published the name of a soldier who fell in combat. He was identified as 19-year-old Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo from Herzliya, who served in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion.
According to the military, Ben Hamo was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack in the border area near southern Lebanon. The drone struck an armored vehicle carrying several soldiers. In addition to the fallen soldier, 12 troops were wounded, two of them moderately and the rest lightly. According to reports, further explosions occurred inside the vehicle after the strike.
🕯️ Sergeant Liem Ben Hamo, 19
Sergeant Liem, from Herzliya, a combat soldier in the 13th Battalion, Golani Brigade fell during combat in southern Lebanon.
I send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/4Rl1OhSN4g
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) April 30, 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a personal message. He said that he and his wife joined “all citizens of Israel in mourning the fallen Golani fighter,” and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family.
The young soldier, Netanyahu wrote, had “fought with courage and bravery against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in order to ensure Israel’s security.” He wished the wounded a swift recovery and reaffirmed his support for the soldiers serving in the field.
The attack occurred in the area of the northern border, while additional drone alerts were also heard across northern Israel. The IDF responded with strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. According to the military, several terrorists were killed and infrastructure used for rocket attacks was destroyed.
Since the start of Operation “Roaring Lion” on February 28 of this year, official figures say 16 Israeli soldiers have fallen in Lebanon. The fighting in the north is increasingly becoming a confrontation in which drones play a central role.
For residents of the border communities, the threat has long since become part of daily life — and at present, no end to the escalation is in sight.
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