The IDF Spokesperson announced on Monday morning that Sergeant Nehorai Leizer, 19, from Eilat, a combat engineering soldier in Battalion 601 of the “Iron Tracks” Brigade (401), was killed in battle in southern Lebanon.

According to the investigation, yesterday at around 3:30 p.m., Hezbollah launched an explosive drone toward an IDF force operating near the Christian village of Dibel in southern Lebanon, about 5 kilometers from the border. The drone exploded on the upper section of a Namer armored engineering vehicle (an engineering version of the Merkava APC). As a result of the shrapnel, Sgt. Nehorai Leizer was killed.

Sgt. Nehorai Leizer is the 11th casualty since the “ceasefire” in Lebanon began. Seven of those killed died as a result of explosive drones — five in Hezbollah attacks inside Lebanese territory and two inside Israel. In the same incident in which Sgt. Nehorai Leizer was killed, another IDF soldier was seriously wounded. The soldier was evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and his family has been notified.

Nehorai will be laid to rest today at 5:00 p.m. in the military section of the cemetery in Eilat.

Rotem David-Leizer, Nehorai’s mother, wrote on Facebook: “They ripped my heart out. Why? Why? God, why?” His sister May wrote: “My little brother. My whole world. My heart stopped beating together with yours.”

The Eilat Municipality stated: “Nehorai, of blessed memory, one of the finest sons of the city, came from a long-time Eilat family. He was the son of Rotem (a kindergarten teacher) and Lucien ‘Luchi’ (an employee of the Eilat Municipality), and the younger brother of May and Roi. He graduated from the Eilat school system, attending the ‘Harei Eilat’ elementary school and the ‘Goldwater’ high school.”

The statement continued: “As a teenager he was active in the ‘Dealer’ and youth leadership movements. He completed a year of national service and afterward enlisted in the Combat Engineering Corps, serving as a driver of an engineering Namer APC.”

The principal of Goldwater High School said that Nehorai was “a high-quality young man, a leader, yet also humble and modest. He was loved by his friends. He studied theater and also completed advanced physical education studies. He was socially active throughout his school years as a youth guide and later as a youth movement activist.”

The municipality concluded: “Nehorai, of blessed memory, was a hero of Israel, the salt of the earth, who fought bravely to defend the State of Israel. May his memory be blessed.”