IDF Combat Engineer Maher Hattar (38) Falls in Lebanon
A community in mourning: Majdal Shams honors its first fallen soldier of the war, Maher Hattar. Serving as a combat engineer in the 91st "Galilee" Division, Hattar’s death mirrors the early sacrifices of Druze officers in previous northern conflicts
The IDF has cleared for publication the death of Maher Hattar, a combat engineer serving in the 91st "Galilee" Division.
Newly released details indicate that last night, missiles, the type of which is still under investigation, were fired at IDF forces while they were on a mission to rescue a broken-down vehicle at a post in southern Lebanon.
Hattar feel as a result of this fire.
Hattar, a resident of the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights, is the first soldier from the community to fall since the escalation of Operation Roaring Lion. His death marks a somber milestone for the town, which has remained a steadfast part of the northern defense line throughout the conflict.
The loss of Maher Hattar highlights a recurring and poignant pattern in Israel's northern campaigns. For the second time in recent history, a Druze soldier is among the first casualties in the Lebanese sector at the start of a major maneuver.
This mirrors the early days of "Operation Iron Swords," which saw the falling of Lt. Col. Alim Abdallah (Saad) and Sgt. Maj. Jawad Amer in the same sector. The Druze community, particularly in the Galilee and Golan, continues to serve at the forefront of the IDF's most elite and dangerous units.
Hattar’s unit, the 91st Division, has been heavily engaged this week in clearing Hezbollah infrastructure and neutralizing tunnel shafts along the "Blue Line" to prevent cross-border infiltrations into the Galilee Panhandle.
May his memory be a blessing.
In the same incident in which Sgt. Maj. Maher Hattar fell, a second soldier was also killed. His family has been notified, but his name has not yet been cleared for publication and will be released later.
Additionally, a combat officer was lightly injured in the event; he has been evacuated to the hospital for medical treatment, and his family has been updated.