The IDF authorized the publication today (Monday) that Sergeant Nehorai Leizer, 19, from Eilat, fell in battle last night in southern Lebanon. An official announcement was made to the family of Leizer, a soldier in the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion of the “Iron Footprints” (401) formation, who was promoted from the rank of corporal to the rank of sergeant after his death. In the same incident in which Sergeant Nehorai Leizer fell, an IDF soldier was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, and his family has been informed.
The incident in which Sergeant Nehorai Leizer fell occurred during an operational activity of the 401st Brigade forces in the southern Lebanon area. Leizer and his comrades from the 601st Engineering Battalion were operating in the area, when during the activity the force was hit by an explosive drone. Nehorai was killed as a result of the impact, and the IDF officially notified his family of his fall. After his death, Leizer was promoted in rank.
In addition to the fall of Sergeant Leizer, the incident in southern Lebanon resulted in the serious injury of another soldier from the force. The injured soldier received initial medical treatment in the field, and was later evacuated to continue receiving complex medical treatment at the hospital. The soldier’s family was informed by military officials and is accompanying him to the hospital.
Eilat Mayor Eli Lankari paid tribute to the city’s own: “We received with great pain the bitter news of the fall of Sergeant Nehorai Leizer, a combat engineer soldier in the 601st Battalion, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon. Nehorai, a native of the city, was a graduate of the “Goldwater” school and a leader in the city’s youth movements. A young man of values who chose to volunteer for a year of service before being drafted, and continued to serve in significant combat, out of a deep mission and love for people and the country.
“Nehorai left behind a huge void! A beloved family – parents Rotem and Lucien (Lucy), and brothers May and Roy. Relatives, friends and the entire city are shocked. Eilat bows its head, grieves the loss and hugs its dear family tightly at this unbearably difficult time.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute: “Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I mourn the fall of a combat engineer soldier, Sergeant Nehorai Leizer, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon. Nehorai, a wonderful young man from the city of Eilat, fought bravely and defended with dedication on our northern border against the terrorist organization Hezbollah. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and many friends and share in their heavy grief. May his memory be blessed.”
Earlier this month, our military correspondent Hillel Biton Rosen first reported that in light of the escalation in the use of explosive drones and the loss of life among our forces on the northern border, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting at the end of which it was decided to allocate an immediate budget of 2 billion shekels for the acquisition and development of advanced technological solutions.
The need for an urgent solution became critical after a difficult month in which the terrorist organization Hezbollah launched more than 100 explosive drones, which are characterized by high maneuverability and a low signature that makes detection systems difficult, and which caused direct hits and losses among the fighters.
In order to deal with the “silent weapon” that changed the face of the campaign, a “defense suit” was formulated for the assaulting echelon, which includes ordering 5 million shotgun shells, alongside the implementation of two central systems for direct defense in the field: small mobile radars for the foot forces that will warn of danger in real time and allow them to take cover, and an active defense system for the mobile forces, which operates on a principle similar to a “windbreaker”, designed to identify and destroy explosive drones and UAVs before they hit the vehicle.