Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Israel Defense Forces
Staff Sgt. Omer Balva, 22, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was killed in an anti-tank missile attack along Israel’s border with Lebanon Friday night, amid ongoing clashing between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
Balva, who grew up in Rockville, Maryland, was a platoon commander in the 9203 battalion of the Alexandroni brigade, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said.
“A message has been given to his family,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF shares in the family’s grief and will continue to support them.”