Israeli Farmer Killed by Hezbollah Fire near Lebanese Border
Eyal Ozan, a 54-year-old resident of Kibbutz Gesher Hziov in the Western Galilee, was tragically killed earlier today by Hezbollah fire while driving through his apple orchards near the town of Matat in the Upper Galilee. Ozan was pronounced dead on the spot by MDA teams after being brought to a compound near the Pasuta junction by a military medical force.
The father of three children, Ozan and his friends chose not to evacuate their kibbutz when the war started, despite its proximity to the Lebanese border. Although they eventually left for Haifa, they recently returned to their home, where Ozan continued to tend to his orchards and chicken coop.
Described as a farmer at heart by his friends, Ozan was unwilling to abandon his land, even in the face of danger. “Eyal is a farmer who did not give up cultivating his land,” said his friend and neighbor, Shuki Regev. “The soil was in his veins and he could not leave the plantations, this was his life.”
Despite concerns from others about the security situation near the border, Ozan remained dedicated to his land and continued to care for it until his untimely death. His tragic loss serves as a reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict in the region.