The IDF on Monday cleared for publication the name of Sgt. Liran Ben Zion, 19, from Holon, was killed overnight by anti-tank missile fire in southern Lebanon.
Ben Zion served as a tank crewman in the 9th Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade, “Iron Tracks.” An armored officer was also seriously wounded in the same incident.
In one case, two soldiers were seriously injured by anti-tank fire directed at Israeli forces during the afternoon. Later, another soldier was seriously wounded and two others moderately wounded when a drone struck near a unit. A separate soldier was moderately injured in an operational accident.
All of the wounded were evacuated to hospitals for treatment, and their families were notified.
Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon have advanced as far as the Litani River, at times reaching depths of 8 to 10 kilometers from the border. Troops are operating under heavy artillery fire, rocket barrages and anti-tank missile attacks.
According to soldiers in the field, alerts for incoming fire often provide only seconds to react, sometimes as little as zero to five seconds. Troops either take cover in armored vehicles or seek shelter behind nearby structures.
Despite statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about expanding the security zone, the military has emphasized that operations are mobile and not intended to establish a fixed buffer zone. The stated objective is to create a security area deeper inside Lebanese territory to reduce attacks on northern Israel.
While the IDF says it is pushing Hezbollah back, the Iran-backed terrorist group continues to fire hundreds of rockets daily, along with drones and anti-tank missiles.
Since the start of the ground operation, five additional soldiers have been killed in anti-tank fire, clashes and rocket attacks: Sgt. 1st Class Maher Khatar, Staff sergeant Or Demry, Staff sergeant Ori Greenberg, Sergeant Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, and Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen. More than 30 soldiers have been wounded in the fighting in southern Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Monday that Lebanon remains “a virtual state effectively occupied by Iran,” criticizing Beirut for failing to act against Hezbollah.
He said that since March 2, when Hezbollah resumed attacks in violation of a November 2024 ceasefire agreement, about 5,000 rockets, missiles and drones have been launched at Israel from Lebanese territory, many of them from south of the Litani River, an area the Lebanese army had previously declared under its operational control.
“Lebanon will not regain its independence as long as it does not confront the Iranian occupation and its proxy, Hezbollah,” Sa’ar said.
First published: 12:54, 03.30.26