His son bears the name of a fallen friend. He had spoken with his wife as recently as Friday — and on Tuesday morning, Major (res.) Itamar Sapir, 27, from the Jewish community of Eli in Samaria, was killed in southern Lebanon. He is the eighth Israeli soldier to fall in Lebanon since the ceasefire began on April 16, and the 21st since the start of operations against Hezbollah.

A father, a commander, a son of Eli

Sapir served as deputy company commander in Battalion 7008 of the 551st Brigade. He was killed when a Hezbollah militant opened fire from inside a church in the southern Lebanese village of Qouzah at Israeli soldiers operating outside the church compound. Several other soldiers were wounded in the attack.

His father-in-law, Erez, said on Tuesday evening that Sapir had spoken with his wife, Roi, last Friday before departing for Lebanon.

“Itamar always had a huge smile. Anyone who saw him understood what kind of smile he had, what kind eyes he had, and how many talents he possessed. He had a desire to do good in the world, wherever he was.”

Sapir’s son, Maayan Iftach, was named after Captain Iftach Yavetz — a friend and fellow Maglan commando unit officer who fell during the Hamas massacre at Nahal Oz on October 7.

Hezbollah fired from inside a church — Israel condemns abuse of holy sites

Israel’s Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the attack, stating:

“Hezbollah has once again turned a holy site into a terror base — desecrating a place of worship, violating international law, and breaching the ceasefire.”

The incident is not an isolated one. Hezbollah systematically uses civilian infrastructure — mosques, schools, and now churches — as cover for military operations.

In response to the attack, the IDF carried out a wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots, command centers, and rocket launchers used in previous attacks. Lebanon’s health minister reported at least ten fatalities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the family and described Sapir as “a courageous commander who fought bravely against Hezbollah militants in order to protect our northern border.”

Three Israeli soldiers have fallen in southern Lebanon within just a few days.

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