He was 24 years old, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade, and was due to marry his fiancée, Rani, in one month. On Friday afternoon, a Hezbollah drone struck his unit in the Southern Lebanese village of Deir Seryan. Maoz Israel Recanati from Itamar in Samaria did not survive the attack. He is the seventh Israeli soldier killed since the start of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

A son of Itamar — rooted in Samaria

Recanati served as a platoon commander in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade and had previously served as a combat soldier in the Egoz reconnaissance unit. He came from one of the founding families of the community of Itamar and is the 20th Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.

The Samaria Regional Council said: “Maoz was among the finest of our sons — a courageous officer and devoted fighter who dedicated his life to protecting the people of Israel. He was the son of a pioneer family, deeply rooted in Itamar, raised with the values of love for the land and devotion to the state. All of Samaria bows its head and mourns with his dear family.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “He was an admired commander, brave and devoted to his soldiers — a fighter who led from the front, with responsibility, personal example and love for the land. His death, shortly before he was to build a home and marry his partner, is heartbreaking and reflects the unbearably heavy price paid by the finest of our sons.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “The entire people of Israel bows its head in grief over Maoz Israel Recanati, of blessed memory, a platoon commander in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade, who fell in battle in Southern Lebanon. My wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to Maoz’s family. In this difficult hour, we embrace his family and all those close to him.”

Drones and mortars — same unit, same village, two days in a row

The deadly drone struck the unit at around 2 p.m. on Friday. The unit had previously been under intense fire for hours — Hezbollah had launched several explosive drones and mortar shells at the soldiers. The drone attack occurred just one day after the same Golani unit, in the same village of Deir Seryan, was subjected to separate mortar fire that killed Staff Sgt. Negev Dagan, 20, from Dekel.

The IDF said on Saturday that it had struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets over the weekend — the first airstrikes against the organization since the extension of the Lebanon ceasefire. Several Hezbollah drones were intercepted while flying in areas of Southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are operating. The drones triggered sirens in several border communities in the Western Galilee.

Recanati was promoted after his death — a customary honor in Israel for fallen soldiers. He is survived by his parents, six siblings and his fiancée, Rani.

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