Israeli archaeologist killed in south Lebanon after embedding with invading army to look at ruins

Ze'ev Erlich was eulogised by far-right ministers, who knew him for his archaeological work in the occupied West Bank

Israeli researcher Ze'ev Erlich seen in IDF uniform on November 20, 2024, hours before he was killed in an ambush by Hezbollah operatives. Photo: X

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An Israeli archaeologist was killed on Wednesday in southern Lebanon after entering the battlefield with invading Israeli troops, supposedly to look at an ancient fortress.

Ze'ev Erlich, 71, a prominent member of the occupied West Bank settler community, was shot in an ambush launched by Hezbollah, which killed him and an Israeli soldier. Military police are probing how Mr Erlich gained entry to the area, dressed in military uniform and carrying a weapon. An initial military probe said he was accompanied by a senior officer who allowed him to enter to look at the unnamed historic site.

The Israeli military’s chief of staff announced that he had ordered the establishment of an expert team to strengthen “operational discipline and military culture in combat” in light of the incident. The probe will be concluded in two weeks.

Israeli troops first invaded Lebanon in October after massive airstrikes targeting the Iran-linked Hezbollah group escalated tit-for-tat strikes over the Lebanese border since October 8, 2023 into an all-out war.

Mr Erlich's brother disputed the Israeli military's claim that he had entered the battlefield as a civilian. “He was fully recognised as a soldier, entering Lebanon with the IDF’s approval and accompaniment, albeit for archaeological research, as he always did in Judea and Samaria,” Amitai Erlich told YNet news, using the Israeli term for the West Bank region.

Mr Erlich served as a major in the reservists until he was 70 and was one of 50 families to set up the occupied West Bank settlement of Ofra in 1977.

Mr Erlich was eulogised by far-right politicians on Wednesday evening. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that he “uncovered the secrets of a great land” throughout his career. Far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said on X: “He had a story for every rock. History for every path. A bible in one pocket, a map in another.”

Mr Erlich will be recognised as a fallen soldier, the army said. The announcement prompted demands from the families of an Air Force navigator who killed himself in October and a hostage who was mistakenly killed by Israeli troops in Gaza while trying to escape to be given the same recognition.

Israel announced on Wednesday that it had lost its 800th security operative during the Gaza war. Deaths in the conflict recently surpassed the number of its soldiers killed in the 1967 Middle East War, which was previously the fifth-deadliest for the country's forces, according to a tally by the Jewish Virtual Library.