Five IDF soldiers died, and 13 were injured in separate instances in southern Lebanon within a two days of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire being announced, the IDF announced over the weekend.
Two soldiers were killed in separate instances in southern Lebanon, the military announced on Saturday.
St.- Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, 52nd Battalion, 401st Brigade, and Sgt. First Class Nir Ben-Ari, 21, from the Maglan Unit, Commando Brigade, were killed separately in combat in southern Lebanon during Hezbollah’s overnight attacks on IDF positions in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
On Friday, a suspicious object struck a tank belonging to Battalion 52 forces under the Givati Brigade who were operating in the area of the village of Tebnit.
St.-Sgt. Klein and Lt.-Col. Dor Gedalia Ben-Simhon died in the incident, along with two other soldiers, though their names have not yet been cleared for publication. Ben-Simhon's death was announced Friday.
Hezbollah attacks on southern Israel kill one, injure 13
Later, Hezbollah attacked IDF positions in the Lebanon buffer zone overnight. Sgt. First Class Ben-Ari is believed to be the only soldier killed in the attacks, though 13 other soldiers were wounded.
In the overnight attacks, Hezbollah launched over 50 projectiles at soldiers in a "blatant ceasefire violation," the IDF said.
The military responded to the attacks with strikes on several Hezbollah terrorists and terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, the military added, including rocket launch positions, weapons storage facilities, and command centers. Later on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz told the IDF to hold fire until further notice.
The military noted that it remains committed to the ceasefire, emphasizing that it will act to "remove any threat posed to the State of Israel and IDF soldiers."
In the strikes on Lebanon, at least 20 people were reportedly killed, according to Lebanese authorities.