Mounting Hezbollah attacks are rattling Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, leaving one soldier killed and seven others—including officers—wounded, in an escalation that follows an earlier drone strike injuring five more occupation troops.
Israeli occupation army announced on Thursday that an Israeli reservist soldier was killed, and seven others were wounded, including senior officers, by a Hezbollah explosive device in southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon.
The slain soldier was a combat soldier with the 36th Division’s headquarters, The Times of Israel reported, citing the Israeli occupation army statement.
At around 5 p.m. on Thursday, the deputy commander of the 36th Division, his forward command team, and other soldiers were walking along the Litani River when they were hit by a blast.
The deputy division commander, with the rank of colonel; a battalion commander in the 556th Transport Regiment, a reservist officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel; and another reservist were moderately injured.
In addition, a combat soldier, two combat reservists, and a servicewoman were lightly injured in the explosion.
An initial Israeli military probe suggests the blast was a Hezbollah explosive device, but further details are under investigation.
Yedioth Ahronoth described the blast as a “serious incident,” noting that the Israeli force was carrying out a foot operation near the Litani River when the explosive device detonated among them.
Israeli Channel 12 indicated that the incident occurred in the southern town of Taybeh, noting that assessments within the Israeli military establishment suggested that Hezbollah elements managed to infiltrate the area and plant the explosive device before detonating it with the Israeli force.
These losses come just hours after five Israeli soldiers were wounded in another attack by two attack drones that targeted a military force and an evacuation force, bringing the total number of casualties among the occupation forces in less than twenty-four hours to one killed and 12 injured, including senior officers.
Israeli Army: An Officer, Four Soldiers Were Seriously or Moderately Injured in Hezbollah Drone Attack in South Lebanon pic.twitter.com/fRvTcdANSI
— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) June 17, 2026
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)