IDF soldier Naveh Havshush of the community of Adam was killed overnight in southern Lebanon in the same attack that claimed the life of battalion commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon and two other soldiers whose names have not yet been cleared for publication, the IDF confirmed Friday morning.
Military casualty officers arrived at the Havshush family home in Adam in the early hours of Friday to deliver the news. His father, Chaim Havshush, announced the loss in a devastated but quietly powerful post on social media Friday morning, alongside a photo of his son smiling in uniform.
"Dear friends, IDF officers came to inform us last night of the bitterest news of all," the father wrote. "Naveh, our sweet and beloved son, was killed last night in Lebanon."
But it was what came next that stopped readers cold.
Despite the catastrophic loss, Chaim used his post to deliver a message of resilience to the Israeli public, asking them not to stop living.
"We would very much like to see everyone continuing to go out on trips and trying to continue with routine as much as possible," he wrote on behalf of the family. "This is what our Navh was killed for. So that we continue to live in this land. In safety, in joy, and in calm. We'll be watching."
The funeral has not yet been scheduled. The family said in their announcement that "there is no information yet about when the funeral will be due to operational constraints," and that details would be provided later. Chaim Havshush closed his post with the words: "I love you all."
