On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that eight Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon, with seven others wounded.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that among the deceased soldiers, three were from the Egoz unit, belonging to the same unit as the first soldier confirmed dead earlier on Wednesday, Eitan Yitzhak Oster.
The statement also mentioned that seven soldiers were wounded.
This is the first report of Israeli soldiers’ deaths since Israel began ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah confirmed that its fighters engaged in combat with Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Wednesday. Hezbollah claimed clashes occurred in the border town of Maroun el-Ras and repelled Israeli forces near other border towns. The organization also launched rockets at military outposts inside Israel.
Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammad Afif stated that these clashes were just the “first round” and that they have enough soldiers, weapons, and ammunition to repel Israel.
Israel did not immediately comment on the situation.
The Israeli military mentioned that regular infantry and armored units were joining the ground operations in Lebanon. Israel has bolstered the 36th Division with infantry and armored units, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade, and the 6th Infantry Brigade.
According to Reuters, this operation may extend beyond limited raids by commando units.
The Israeli military stated that its operations in Lebanon primarily aim to destroy border tunnels and other infrastructure, with no plans for wider-scale actions in the Lebanese capital Beirut or major cities in the south.
Nevertheless, Israel issued new evacuation orders for approximately twenty border towns along the southern border, directing residents to move north of the Litani River, which flows about 60 kilometers north of the Israeli border from east to west.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel once again bombed southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Iranian-backed groups. Israel conducted over a dozen airstrikes on targets reportedly belonging to Hezbollah.
According to Lebanese government figures, nearly 1,900 people have died and over 9,000 have been injured in nearly a year of cross-border fighting, with the majority of deaths occurring in the past two weeks. Over a million people have been displaced.
On Tuesday, Israel faced a barrage of 200 missiles launched by Iran, raising concerns of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Hezbollah is considered Iran’s military proxy in the region.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip in 2023, sparking the Israel-Hamas War, Hezbollah has been launching missiles, mortars, and rockets into northern Israel almost daily, showing support for Hamas and prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes.
Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran’s attacks. The United States has stated that Iran’s actions represent a significant escalation and is discussing next steps in response to Iran.
Iran stated on Wednesday that this round of missile strikes will end unless Israel provides further response.
Axios reported on Wednesday, citing Israeli officials, that Israel plans a “significant retaliation” against Iran’s attacks in the coming days, potentially targeting Iran’s oil production facilities and other strategic locations.