Israeli minister Smotrich shares selfie with son injured in Lebanon attack — ‘shrapnel tore through his liver’

Israeli minister Smotrich shared a selfie with his son, Binyamin Hebron, who was wounded in the Hezbollah strikes near the Lebanon border earlier this month. The latest picture posted on X shows the son on the hospital bed in the intensive care unit.

Smotrich posted the image with the caption in Hebrew, a rough translation of which read: "After another night by our hero's side, who, thank God, passed a bit more calmly than yesterday. We continue to progress, God willing."

He requested his followers to “continue to pray for the healing of Binyamin Hebron...among all the wounded [soldiers] of the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]...”

"Among those lightly injured by the rocket strike is the son of Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich," the minister’s office reportedly said.

The rocket had reportedly struck an army position near the Lebanon border.

The troops, who all served with the Givati Brigade, were taken to a hospital for treatment. Five were said to be in serious condition, and three are lightly hurt, the army was quoted as saying.

In a post on X, Smotrich said a mortar round was launched towards the soldiers on the Lebanese border on Friday. “One of them is my beloved son – Benya Hebron,” he wrote.

The far-right Israeli cabinet member said shrapnel “pierced his back and abdomen” and he was rushed to hospital.

“By the grace of God, one of the shrapnel tore through his liver and lodged in the wall of the largest blood vessel in his stomach. If, God forbid, it had been damaged, the situation would have been much worse,” he said.

He took to X to express his gratitude and said, “About a week after my son Binyamin Hebron was injured, I arrived today at the Nahariya Medical Center to express my heartfelt thanks to the medical teams who cared for him and his comrades with devotion, professionalism, and great humanity.”

He said also met the fellow team members — "heroic fighters — and heard from them about the moments of injury in the field and the rehabilitation process they were undergoing.

"The spirit of our fighters, their faith, and their determination to keep moving forward are truly inspiring," the minister's post read.

"A huge thank you to the doctors, nurses, support staff, volunteers, the soldiers of the 2nd Regional Medical Unit, and the Casualty Department of the Givati Brigade for their devoted care, for their open hearts, and for their daily work that saves lives," he wrote.

"On my behalf, on behalf of all the parents and families, and on behalf of the entire people of Israel—thank you. Together, with God's help, we will prevail," the minister added.