The IDF announced Friday that Master Sergeant (res.) Guy Shabtay, 39, from Jerusalem, has died from injuries sustained during an October 26 battle in southern Lebanon.
Shabtay is the sixth casualty from the intense firefight, which erupted after IDF soldiers launched an operation on a compound in a border village. Five other reservists and officers were killed in the prolonged clash, and another soldier remains seriously injured.
The deadly encounter saw IDF troops engaged in hours-long combat across the village, with complex rescue efforts delaying evacuation. Since the outbreak of war, the IDF reports that 782 soldiers have been killed in action.
The fallen soldiers from the October 26 battle include Captain (res.) Amit Chayut, Captain (res.) Avraham Yosef Goldberg, Major (res.) Eliav Amram Abitbol and Master Sergeant (res.) Gilad Elmaliach. Sergeant Major (res.) Shaul Moyal later died from his injuries, followed by Shabtay on Friday.
According to the IDF military rabbinate, Shabtay had chosen to serve as a rabbinical coordinator for his battalion, taking on substantial responsibilities within the military rabbinate to support soldiers. “Guy performed his duties with dedication and took great responsibility for the range of rabbinical services in the battalion,” the rabbinate said.
Shabtay, also an educator at Horev Yeshiva in Jerusalem, split his time between teaching and Torah study at the Meir Institute. “Guy was both a man of Torah and education,” the rabbinate statement added, noting his close relationship with Rabbi Captain (res.) Avraham Yosef Goldberg. “When the order came to enter Lebanon, it was clear to both that they would be fighting. Their last hours were spent under fire together. Our hearts are with their families at this difficult time.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: