Captain David Hazutt, 21, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion from Ashkelon, was killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday.
According to the IDF’s preliminary investigation, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. in the village of Deir Siryan. Troops from the Golani Brigade entered a building where they encountered a Hezbollah operative, triggering a close-range exchange of gunfire.
Captain Hazutt was fatally wounded during the firefight. Another soldier sustained light injuries and was evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment. His family has been notified.
Following the clash, Israeli forces launched a manhunt for the Hezbollah operative, who fled the scene. Simultaneously, the Israeli Air Force and ground troops carried out strikes against several Hezbollah targets in the area.
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The incident comes as the IDF continues operations in southern Lebanon aimed at preventing Hezbollah from reestablishing its military infrastructure and eliminating threats to Israeli forces operating along the northern border.