Commander who brought killed Israeli civilian into Lebanon requests to step down

The incident is still under investigation, though it is suspected that the civilian was brought into Lebanon unlawfully.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 25, 2024 18:03 Updated: NOVEMBER 25, 2024 19:06

Israeli researcher Ze'ev Erlich seen in IDF uniform before entering into southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border with Lebanon, November 20, 2024 (photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Lt. Col. (res.) Yaniv Yarom, the commander who allowed 70-year-old civilian Ze’ev 'Jabo' Hanoch Erlich to enter Lebanon, has requested to step down from his position on Monday.

When Erlich was killed in Lebanon on Wednesday, an additional soldier was killed, and an officer of the Golani Brigade was seriously wounded in the same incident, along with Yarom himself.

The military said that civilian Ze’ev 'Jabo' Hanoch Erlich, 70, from Ofra, served as a major in reserve and fell in combat in southern Lebanon.

“I share in the families' grief, embrace them, and wish the wounded a swift recovery,” Yarom wrote in his letter to Colonel Adi Ganon, commander of the Golani Brigade.

"Given the values I was taught and my belief that 'pride comes with responsibility,' I believe I must take command responsibility for the incident," Yarom wrote. "Therefore, I request to end my position as Support Company Commander."

IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Erlich may have been in Lebanon unlawfully

The Jerusalem Post understood that Erlich was brought into Lebanon unlawfully, though an investigation is still underway.

The initial understanding was that his presence was related to a nearby archaeological site in southern Lebanon near which Israeli forces had been operating.

"Of course, I will fully cooperate with the incident investigation and review," Yarom wrote.