JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, said Monday that his son, Benaya Hebron, was more seriously wounded than first reported when terrorists fired a mortar at his unit along the Lebanese border last Friday.

Smotrich said shrapnel struck his son’s back and stomach, narrowly missing a major blood vessel. Doctors described the outcome as “a great miracle,” and the young soldier remains in the hospital under treatment.

A video circulated last week showing Smotrich blessing his son before he entered the battlefield, drawing widespread attention online as the family prepared for the operation.

Several other soldiers were also seriously injured in the attack. Smotrich noted that, in his role on the wartime cabinet, every military decision carries life-or-death consequences and that he views all soldiers as his sons.

He concluded by expressing faith in Israel’s mission and the hope for victory: “With G-d’s help, with courage, determination, and strength, we will prevail.”