The Israeli military yesterday said that two of its soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Lebanon in the first Israeli deaths since the implementation of a truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in June.
Four other soldiers were seriously wounded, the military said.
The deaths had been reported by Israeli media a day earlier.
Photo: AP
An Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the army’s policy, said that “an explosion was detonated” when the soldiers entered a site in the village of Majdal Zoun and that the nature of the explosive was under review.
The Israeli army on Wednesday launched strikes in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire and issued a call for residents of the village of Mansouri to flee — the first such warning Israel has issued in Lebanon for weeks.
There was no immediate statement from Hezbollah.
The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome to discuss implementation of a June 26 deal under which Israeli forces are to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon and allow the Lebanese army to take control, in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Wednesday’s talks ended early due to the escalation on the ground.
The talks were set to resume yesterday.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike in the town of Tebnine on Wednesday.
The state-run National News Agency reported that others were wounded in overnight strikes on the village of Burj al-Shemali, but the number of people hurt was not clear.
Artillery shelling also targeted the areas of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun, it said.
The talks in Rome have focused on implementation of “pilot zones,” from which Israeli forces would withdraw and the Lebanese army would take control.
Implementation began last month with an initial pilot zone in an area that was not occupied by Israeli forces, but had sustained Israeli fire.
The Lebanese army entered the town of Zawtar al-Gharbieh and some civilians returned.
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