Fourth commander of battalion that killed Hind Rajab eliminated in south Lebanon, renewing scrutiny of the unit
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The killing of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the Israeli military's 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade in southern Lebanon has renewed scrutiny of the unit responsible for the killing of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza. Ben Simhon was killed alongside three other Israeli soldiers after their tank was targeted in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military.
The 52nd Battalion came under international scrutiny after Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza City in January 2024 when Israeli forces deliberately attacked the vehicle carrying her and six relatives with hundreds of bullets. Rajab survived the initial attack and remained trapped inside the car while speaking with emergency dispatchers. An ambulance sent to rescue her was later struck, killing the two paramedics inside.
Her body was recovered 12 days later. An Al Jazeera investigation published in October identified former 52nd Battalion commander Daniel Ela and 401st Brigade commander Col. Beni Aharon among the officers involved in the killing of Rajab, her relatives, and the ambulance crew.
In May 2025, the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against Ela and Aharon, accusing them of war crimes.
According to The Times of Israel, 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 outlet reported that Ela was wounded in Gaza in July 2024 and succeeded by Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev, who was seriously injured in October that year. Another battalion commander was later wounded in southern Lebanon before Ben Simhon took command. Channel 14 previously reported that Ela had led the battalion on three separate occasions since October 2023.
That Ben Gvir post that everyone is sharing aghast? It is a perfectly normal and common Israeli view, held by millions. It is the Israeli mainstream, and not extreme in the least. I grew up hearing that endlessly