Israeli army drops charges against officer over death of Israeli in Lebanon

The Israeli army has closed the case against a senior officer who authorized the visit of an Israeli, Zeev Erlich, to Lebanon, during which he and a soldier were killed, several Israeli media outlets reported Tuesday.

Yoav Yarom, the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade in November 2024, had approved Erlich — described as a “researcher” — to visit an old mosque and a fortress in Lebanon on Nov. 20, in violation of established procedures, according to the investigation. The war between Hezbollah and Israel was raging at the time and only ended on Nov. 27, 2024, with the signing of a cease-fire.

According to the Times of Israel, “Yoav Yarom will not face criminal prosecution,” but the judge “instead recommended disciplinary action within the army.” In September, prosecutors had announced their intent to seek an indictment against the reservist officer for involuntary manslaughter.

For the record

What we know about Zeev Erlich, the Israeli “researcher” killed in southern Lebanon

On Nov. 20, 2024, Erlich, 71, and Gur Kehati, 20, of the Golani Brigade, were killed by Hezbollah fighters, Haaretz notes.

While Israeli media claimed he was neither an active-duty soldier nor a reservist, Erlich was escorted by members of the Golani Brigade and was armed and dressed in military gear during his final incursion into southern Lebanon as part of Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory.

In a statement published Nov. 21, Hezbollah confirmed the death of an Israeli archaeologist “who accompanied the force under the responsibility of the brigade commander to familiarize himself with the area,” identifying him as Erlich.