Jerusalem, Israel (March 31, 2026)

The IDF announced that four soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon, in one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces in recent days as combat with Hezbollah continues to intensify. Current reporting identified the fallen as Capt. Noam Madmoni, 22, of Sderot, Staff Sgt. Ben Cohen, 21, of Lehavim, Staff Sgt. Maxim Entis, 21, of Bat Yam, and Staff Sgt. Gilad Harel, 21, of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut.

According to the military’s initial findings, the troops were operating in the western sector of southern Lebanon at around 6:30 p.m. when they identified a Hezbollah gunmen cell. The soldiers engaged the operatives at close range and struck several of them, but the encounter quickly escalated into a deadly firefight.

The IDF said that while forces were evacuating wounded soldiers from the exchange, Hezbollah operatives fired an anti-tank missile at the troops. Israeli forces then responded with tank shelling and airstrikes targeting the area where the Hezbollah operatives were positioned. In addition to the four killed, one soldier was seriously wounded and another reservist was moderately injured, according to the military.

The losses add to the growing toll on Israeli troops operating in Lebanon, where the fighting has become increasingly close-range and dangerous as ground forces push deeper into Hezbollah-held areas. The latest battle underscored the intensity of the current phase of the northern campaign, with Israeli troops confronting entrenched Hezbollah cells in direct encounters rather than only from a distance.

The deaths of the four soldiers have sent another wave of mourning across Israel, and the Jewish world at large. As the military continues its operations in southern Lebanon, the incident stands as a painful reminder of the high price being paid on the northern front.

HY”D. Besuros Tovos.