Israeli soldier Master Sergeant (Res.) Basil Sweid, 32, from the northern Druze–Arab town of Peki’in, was killed on Wednesday during operational activity after a vehicle had overturned in southern Lebanon, according to an IDF statement on Thursday.
The official described the incident as an accident. Another soldier was moderately wounded in the incident and evacuated for medical treatment.
Since the beginning of the current round of fighting in Lebanon on March 2, 37 IDF soldiers have been killed.
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Master Sergeant (Res.) Basil Sweid, 32, from Peki’in, killed during operational activity in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson
Master Sergeant (Res.) Basil Sweid, 32, from Peki’in, killed during operational activity in southern Lebanon.Credit: IDF Spokesperson
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, said another Druze “hero” had fallen in the war in Lebanon, adding, “There are no words capable of describing the pain over the loss of a young man in the early years of his life.”
Tarif added that Sweid served hundreds of reserve duty days, describing his service as “a mission and a privilege,” volunteering for months in an emergency operations center established by the Druze community after violence against Druze in Syria in July 2025. “The Druze community continues to bear a heavy burden and pay a very heavy price. The best of our youth are being cut down.”
Tarif said Sweid’s death “reflects the partnership of the Druze community in the State of Israel,” adding that this partnership “must exist not only on the battlefield but also in civilian life.”
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Basil Sweid Credit: Section 27A of the Copyright Law
Basil SweidCredit: Section 27A of the Copyright Law
On Wednesday, an Israeli civilian contractor, identified as Raad Abu al-Kiyan, working with the country’s Defense Ministry, was killed in an accident in Gaza, the IDF said. Abu al-Kiyan was killed in a building collapse in the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, the man, a bulldozer operator, was “an employee working for a contractor company carrying out engineering projects.”