Reservist killed, soldier injured in truck accident in south Lebanon

Master Sgt. (res.) Basil Sweid, 32, killed when military truck overturns; in Gaza, Defense Ministry civilian contractor killed in building collapse

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and ToI Staff

Today, 1:15 pm

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A reserve soldier died in an “operational accident” in southern Lebanon Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

The military identified him as Master Sgt. (res.) Basil Sweid, 32, a truck driver in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 75th Battalion, from Peki’in. The IDF said Sweid was killed when his refueling truck overturned in the Rab al-Thalathine area at around 11 p.m. last night.

As a result of the truck overturning, Sweid was killed and a combat soldier was moderately injured.

The injured soldier was hospitalized and his family has been notified.

Muafak Tarif, leader of the Druze community in Israel, eulogized Sweid and said he had willingly done long stints of reserve duty.

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“There are no words to describe the pain of losing a young man,” Tarif said, according to the Haaretz news site. “Basil Sweid served hundreds of days in the reserves and saw his service as a mission and a privilege that was afforded to him to protect the country.”

He added, “The Druze community continues to bear the burden [of military service] and to pay a very heavy and dear price. The heroism of the Druze soldiers demonstrates our participation in the State of Israel, a partnership that shouldn’t only be on the battlefield but also in life.”

Thirty-seven IDF soldiers and one Defense Ministry civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon, where fighting against Hezbollah has escalated amid the Iran war in recent months.

Two civilians were also killed by Hezbollah rockets, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery shelling.

In Lebanon, the Israeli military has said that it has killed over 2,500 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, since early March.

Civilian defense contractor dies in Gaza

Also on Wednesday, a Defense Ministry civilian contractor was killed in a building collapse in the Gaza Strip, the military announced.

The contractor, named as Raad Abu al-Qi’an from Hura, was employed by a civilian company carrying out demolition works on behalf of the Defense Ministry in the Strip.

During the demolition works, a structure collapsed on Abu al-Qi’an while he was operating heavy machinery, killing him.

The IDF said his family was notified of the incident — described as an “operational accident” — and said the military and Defense Ministry “share in the family’s grief.”

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