'An exemplary figure': Israeli officials express condolences for Col. Ehsan Daxa

Various Israeli officials expressed their condolences for the commander of the IDF's 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade, Col. Ehsan Daxa, whose death during combat in Gaza was announced on Sunday by Israel's military.

Col. Daxa was 41 years old and came from Daliyat al-Karmel, the largest Druze community in Israel. He was reportedly considered one of the highest-ranking officers to die in ground combat since the start of the war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X/Twitter emphasizing Daxa's heroism and noting how Daxa showcased the bond between the Druze community and Israel. "Ehsan was a hero of Israel, a warrior, and a commander—an exemplary figure of the bond of life with the Druze community. He chose to devote his all to the security of Israel and its citizens," Netanyahu wrote.

"We are all praying for the recovery of our wounded heroes," he added, possibly in reference to the officer from Daxa's brigade who was announced by the IDF as wounded during the same incident in which Daxa was killed.

רעייתי שרה ואני מבקשים לשלוח תנחומים מעומק ליבנו למשפחות גיבורינו שנפלו בקרבות בדרום לבנון וברצועת עזה.בשבוע האחרון נפלו סמל קורן ביתן, סמ״ר יהודה דרור יהלום, סמ״ר יעקב הלל, סמ״ר אלישיב איתן וידר, סרן אלעד סימן טוב, רס״ן אופק בכר, סמל אלישי יונג, סמ״ר אופיר ברקוביץ׳, ורס״ם… pic.twitter.com/PA4T08mVqX

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 20, 2024

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also expressed his sadness regarding the death of Col. Daxa on Sunday. "I was deeply saddened to receive the painful news," Gallant said.

"Today, the State of Israel lost a bold and courageous commander, a leader who dedicated his life and work to the security of our nation. Ehsan’s character, combined with his love for our homeland, his creativity and fearless sense of initiative, made him a role model and source of pride for his troops and commanders," he explained.

Gallant also described a past interaction he had with Daxa when he met him as he was leading troops on a mission to dismantle Hamas's Rafah Bridge.

"In this mission, too, he was creative and bold," Gallant said.

Hagari addresses Daxa's death in Sunday statement 

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari's Sunday night remarks regarding plans to target Hezbollah banks in Beruit suburbs first began with him addressing Daxa's death and explaining the background behind the incident that involved him being struck by an explosive while outside a tank.

"Tonight, we are reminded once again of the heavy toll of this war. We salute the fallen and their families, who bear the pain and loss," Hagari said. 

Israel's President Isaac Herzog expressed his condolences in an X post. 

"Together with the entire house of Israel, I received with sorrow and pain the bitter news of the fall of the 401st Brigade, the late Col. Ehsan Daxa, who fell today in the battles of Jabalya," Herzog wrote.

"Ehsan - is a hero of Israel, a brave, humble, and valuable warrior - and his fall is a loss to the State of Israel and to Israeli society as a whole," Herzog added. 

יחד עם כל בית ישראל קיבלתי בצער וכאב את הבשורה המרה על נפילתו של מח״ט 401, אל״ם אחסאן דקסה ז״ל, שנפל היום בקרבות בג׳בלייה. אחסאן - גיבור ישראל, לוחם אמיץ, צנוע וערכי - ונפילתו היא אבדה למדינת ישראל ולחברה הישראלית כולה. אני מצדיע לו ומחבק את משפחתו, את הישוב דלית אל כרמל ואת…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) October 20, 2024

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also made a post on X, in which he wrote that Col. Daxa's death "tore his heart."

Smotrich then offered his condolences and expressed his commitment to "destroying the enemy and making sure that the perpetrators of the Nazi crimes in Gaza are destructed to the last one."