An Israeli civilian who was unlawfully brought into a southern Lebanese warzone was killed by enemy fire Wednesday, Binyamin Regional Council announced Wednesday evening.
The civilian, named Ze’ev Erlich, 71, was a known tour guide and an archaeological expert of the Land of Israel.
תקרית חריגה בלבנון: זאב ארליך, אזרח ישראלי, נכנס ללבנון עם רמ”ט גולני ונהרג בהיתקלות עם מחבלים>>> https://t.co/QHd3VLxFn6@roysharon11 pic.twitter.com/dy4eIh4nGm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 20, 2024
Preliminary details show an officer from one IDF battalion fighting in Lebanon brought Erlich into Lebanon despite not receiving the appropriate permit to do so from officers in the Northern Command.
Further, the initial understanding was that the embedded civilian’s presence was related to a nearby archaeological site in southern Lebanon near which Israeli forces had been operating.
Yisrael Gantz, Head of the Binyamin Regional Council, saying “we are shocked by Erlich’s passing. A man whose name was a symbol of knowledge and love of the land. He was one of the pioneers of settlement and a pillar of the Ofra settlement.
“Thousands who love this land will continue to grow up on the findings and insights he brought to the world out of great affection for the Holy Land, its heritage and the history of the Jewish people there. We share in the heavy sorrow of dear Tamar and the Erlich family and embrace the Ofra community.”
This is a developing story.
