The Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday that Capt. David Hazutt, a platoon commander serving in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade, lost his life during an overnight confrontation with a Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon. Military officials described the incident as the first direct engagement of its kind since the signing of an agreement with the Lebanese government.
According to the IDF, the clash took place at around 2:00 a.m. while a Golani Brigade Combat Team unit was conducting operations in the Deir Siryan area. During that mission, the soldiers came across a Hezbollah member who opened fire on them.
Capt. Hazutt was fatally wounded in the firefight. A second soldier was also hurt and was transported to receive medical attention. Israeli forces returned fire on the attacker, though the military stated it remained unclear whether the gunman was killed. In the aftermath of the encounter, the IDF carried out artillery strikes in the surrounding area.
Hazutt was 21 years old and originally from the city of Ashkelon, where he had served as a platoon commander in Battalion 12 of the Golani Brigade.
Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam offered his condolences, stating: “The city of Ashkelon bows its head and mourns the fall of Capt. David Hazutt, a resident of the city, a platoon commander in Battalion 12 of the Golani Brigade, who fell in battle defending the homeland in southern Lebanon at the age of 21. David is survived by his mother, sister, and a heartbroken family.”
