Two Israeli reserve soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon and four others severely wounded, the Israeli military said, while Israeli strikes killed at least one person and wounded 12 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli military identified the dead soldiers as Maj Harel Birenstock and Chief Master Sgt Tamir Vaknin, saying their families had been notified. Israeli media reported they were killed when an explosive device detonated during operations in southern Lebanon.
The deaths came a day after Israel launched strikes in southern Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of a “blatant” breach of a ceasefire agreement. The military said it was “compelled to act forcefully” and carried out “targeted strikes” against the group.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said an Israeli drone strike on a prayer room near a cemetery in Tibnin killed one person and wounded 12 others.
Israel also issued a forced displacement order for residents of Mansouri, near Tyre, instructing them to leave their homes and move at least 1km north. Lebanese officials said Israeli attacks had already hit the area before the warning was issued.
The escalation came as Israeli and Lebanese delegations held US-mediated talks in Rome aimed at implementing a security arrangement agreed in June to ease border tensions.
A US State Department official said Wednesday’s talks ended early because of events on the ground but would resume, adding that discussions had made progress on implementing the “Trilateral Framework”.
The framework includes pilot zones where Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese army takes control and verifies Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Lebanon has also demanded that Israel halt attacks and demolitions in areas where its forces remain deployed.
An Israeli military official told The National they could not immediately comment on the nature of the alleged Hezbollah breach that led to the strikes.
“From our experience, the Israelis don't need anything to escalate. They can do it whenever they want,” a Lebanese official told The National.
The latest violence has raised concerns over the future of the ceasefire after months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah forced more than one million people to flee their homes.
Lebanese and Israeli officials began US-mediated talks in April, with a trilateral agreement reached after the fifth round of negotiations in late June. The discussions later moved to Rome, where the latest escalation risks setting back progress.
