2 soldiers killed in Lebanon in the first Israeli deaths since June truce with Hezbollah
BEIRUT (AP) — The Israeli military said Thursday that two of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon in the first…
Israeli forces reported the loss of two soldiers in combat within Lebanon on Thursday, marking the first Israeli fatalities since concluding a tenuous truce with Hezbollah in June. Four additional soldiers were reported to have sustained serious injuries. The Israeli military attributed the deaths to Hezbollah's breach of the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli army initiated strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, in retaliation for what it termed Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire. Israel also issued a warning to residents of the village of Mansouri to evacuate, the first such advisory from Israel in Lebanon in weeks. No immediate response was received from Hezbollah.
These developments unfold as Lebanese and Israeli diplomats convened in Rome to discuss the terms of the June 26 agreement, which aimed to facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli forces from regions occupied in southern Lebanon and enable the Lebanese army to assume control, provided Hezbollah dismantles its arsenal. However, the high-level talks were abruptly halted on Wednesday due to escalating hostilities on the ground. It remained uncertain whether the negotiations would reconvene on Thursday.
Lebanon's Health Ministry confirmed the death of one individual and 12 others wounded in an Israeli strike on the town of Tebnine on Wednesday. Additionally, the National News Agency reported further casualties following overnight strikes on the village of Burj al-Shemali, though the exact toll was not specified. Artillery fire also struck Mansouri and Majdal Zoun, according to the state-run agency.
The present conflict between Israel and Hezbollah commenced on March 2, following Hezbollah's rocket barrages across the border, mere days after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since the onset of hostilities, over 4,000 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon, with hundreds of them being innocent civilians. Approximately 40 Israeli soldiers and three civilians, including a military contractor, have also been killed in the Israeli military's operations.
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