An initial IDF inquiry into the incident in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in which the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade's 52nd Battalion was severely injured, found that the injury was likely a result of shrapnel or ricochet from a shell fired by Israeli forces.
The incident occurred in the middle of an operational pursuit after a squad of terrorists in complex terrain in southern Lebanon.
During the ground operation, the IDF forces fired a shell toward a suspicious location. The investigation found that shrapnel or a ricochet from the shell hit the battalion commander who was standing nearby.
The officer received initial treatment at the scene and was later evacuated by helicopter to a hospital. His family was notified.
The IDF announced a surprising temporary replacement for the commander: Lt. Col. Daniel Ella, who served as the battalion's commander at the outbreak of the war and led it through intense battles until he was moderately wounded in Rafah in July 2024.
The current commander's injury has caused difficult feelings among the troops of the Armored Corps, as he was the 52nd Battalion's third consecutive commander to be injured since the Swords of Iron War began.
Three months after Lt. Col. Daniel Ella was wounded, his replacement, Lt. Col. Yehuda Shalev, was seriously wounded, having to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process.