Two Israeli reserve soldiers have been killed during active combat in southern Lebanon the Israeli military confirmed on Thursday. The deaths occurred amid ongoing clashes between Israeli ground forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The military identified the deceased soldiers as Major Harel Birenstock 34 a company commander and Sergeant Major Tamir Vaknin 33. Both served in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Brigade.
These latest casualties underscore the escalating human cost of the border conflict. Meanwhile intensive military operations continue to impact surrounding civilian areas. On Wednesday heavy Israeli shelling sparked widespread forest fires that swept through the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Shouba visible from the nearby town of Marjayoun.
The security situation along the Lebanon-Israel border remains highly volatile as cross-border combat continues with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
