IDF Announces Death of Soldier in Lebanon: Sergeant Liam Ben Hamo, 19

JERUSALEM — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced the death of Sergeant Liam Ben Hamo, 19, who was killed on Thursday during an operational mission in southern Lebanon.

Sgt. Ben Hamo served in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. The official statement did not immediately specify the exact cause of death, but he is the second IDF soldier confirmed killed in Lebanon in less than a week .

Hezbollah has continued to target Israeli troops and armor in the border area using explosive drones and anti-tank missiles, despite a US-brokered ceasefire that has been repeatedly violated .

The circumstances of Ben Hamo’s death come a day after a Hezbollah drone struck an Israeli military vehicle near Shomera, wounding 12 soldiers . Israeli forces retaliated with a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon on Thursday evening .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the campaign to push Hezbollah away from the border.

“We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm or regroup on our border. Those who target our soldiers will pay a heavy price.”

Hezbollah has not released a statement claiming responsibility for the specific incident, but the group has made it clear it views all IDF troops in southern Lebanon as legitimate military targets under international humanitarian law .

Casualties since the Ceasefire

Earlier this week, the IDF announced the death of Sergeant Idan Fooks, also 19 and from Petah Tikva, who succumbed to wounds sustained in a Hezbollah drone strike . While the IDF has not yet determined if Ben Hamo was killed in a drone strike or by other means, the pattern of the last week suggests that the “quiet” on the northern front has ended.

Ben Hamo is the second soldier to be buried this week, and the funerals are likely to fuel public anger over the government’s inability to secure a permanent ceasefire with Hezbollah .

Local officials in northern Israel have accused the government of having “abandoned” them, as tens of thousands of residents remain displaced .

❤️ Mourning and Investigation

Sgt. Ben Hamo was from the central Israeli city of Rishon LeZion. He was posthumously promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.

The IDF has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. The military’s statement noted that “the soldiers were operating in a defined area to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and to push the terrorist organization away from the border” .