Moshe immigrated to Israel from the United States, enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade, and fought with bravery for the defense of the homeland.
By The IDF Club
The Israel Defense Forces cleared for publication the name of an IDF soldier killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
He was identified as Sgt. Moshe Yitzchak HaKohen Katz, 22, a lone soldier from New Haven, Connecticut, who immigrated to Israel and served in the Paratroopers Brigade.
His father, Mendy Katz, shared the news in a heartbreaking Facebook post. “With unspeakable tragedy, I regret to inform you that my 22-year-old son Moshe Yitzchak, a sergeant in the IDF, fell in battle in Lebanon. My oldest son with a zest for life and jokes. Burial is tomorrow in Israel. May we only share good news. My heart is shattered and the wound is real.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing condolences to the family, saying, “My wife and I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Sgt. Moshe Yitzchak HaKohen Katz, who fell in battle in Lebanon. Moshe immigrated to Israel from the United States, enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade, and fought with bravery for the defense of the homeland. On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, we embrace his family during this difficult time and wish a full and speedy recovery to the soldiers wounded in the same incident.”
Katz was killed amid ongoing fighting in southern Lebanon. Last week, the IDF announced the deaths of Sgt. Aviad Elchanan Volansky, who was killed when an anti-tank missile struck a tank during combat operations, and Staff Sgt. Ori Greenberg, who was killed when Golani reconnaissance troops came under heavy fire during an operation in a village in southern Lebanon.
The escalation follows weeks of relentless rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel since the group joined the war alongside Iran. The attacks have caused deaths and numerous injuries in northern communities, with towns and cities near the border repeatedly coming under fire.
As the war continues, soldiers like Volansky, Greenberg, and Katz represent a generation of young Israelis sent to defend the country’s borders. Their deaths are a reminder of the heavy price paid by Israel’s soldiers and families in the ongoing effort to protect the people of Israel.
