The Israeli military’s announcement on Friday that the commander of the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade was killed in southern Lebanon has renewed scrutiny of the same unit linked to the killing of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.
In a statement, the army said Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, from Beit HaShita and commander of the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade, was killed along with three soldiers after their tank was targeted during operations in southern Lebanon.
According to The Times of Israel daily, Ben Simhon is the fourth commander of the 52nd Battalion to be killed or wounded since the start of Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
The battalion has drawn international scrutiny over its role in the killing of Hind Rajab, who died in Gaza City in January 2024 after Israeli forces struck the vehicle carrying her and several relatives.
Rajab survived the initial attack and remained trapped inside the car while speaking by phone with emergency dispatchers, according to documented accounts. An ambulance sent to rescue her was subsequently hit, killing the paramedics. Her body was found 12 days later.
