Two IDF reservists were killed and four others seriously wounded Wednesday when an explosive device detonated during an operation in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun, the military said Thursday morning.
The fallen soldiers were identified as Major (Res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, of Nokdim, commander of Company A in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Brigade, and Sergeant Major (Res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, of Eilat, a combat soldier in the same battalion and brigade.
The IDF said it was conducting an in-depth investigation into the incident, including whether the explosive device had been planted before or after the ceasefire took effect.
Investigators are also examining whether Hezbollah operatives detonated the device after identifying Israeli forces at the site.
The military accused Hezbollah of a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement and launched a wave of strikes in the area following the deadly incident. The attacks continued overnight.
The IDF said the Lebanese army had failed to prevent residents from returning to the village, as required under the ceasefire arrangement. The military therefore considers the incident a violation of the agreement, regardless of when the explosive device was planted.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, however, had not issued an official statement declaring that the ceasefire had been breached.
‘He put his life on hold for the country’
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal mourned Birenstock, who is survived by his wife, children, parents and siblings.
“We grieve the loss of Harel, who grew up in Gush Etzion and built his home here, and send our condolences to his parents, his wife, his children, his brothers, his sisters and his entire family,” Rosenthal said.
He also sent support to the soldiers of the 55th Reserve Brigade, saying: “I am here in the hills of Gush Etzion, and my heart is with you in the mountains of Lebanon.”
Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri, who visited Vaknin’s family Wednesday evening, described him as “one of the city’s finest sons.”
“Eilat bows its head, mourns the loss and embraces the dear family during this unbearably difficult hour,” he said.
IDF strikes in Lebanon
Vaknin was the son of Shimon and Katerina and the brother of David and Yoav. He was raised and educated in Eilat and attended the city’s Rabin High School.
“He was a hero of Israel, the salt of the earth, who fought courageously in defense of the State of Israel,” Lankri said.
Michael Tomer, a close friend of Birenstock, said the two had known each other since childhood and were “like brothers.”
“Harel was a winner at heart. He always did everything well, always tried to keep things light and made everything seem easy,” Tomer said.
“For the past three years, Harel put his entire life on hold and gave everything he had to reserve duty. He had a wife at home, four children and a job as an engineer at Elbit, but the most important thing to him was reserve duty and defending the country.”
Tomer said Birenstock had raised 30,000 shekels for the Shalva organization before they ran the New York Marathon together nearly two years ago.
“That was Harel. Just yesterday morning, a few hours before the incident, we were messaging each other,” he said. “In recent years, whenever he entered an operational area, he would write to tell me where he was and that everything was fine. In our final conversation, I asked him when we would go cycling together.”
Force entered booby-trapped building
The blast occurred at around noon Wednesday during an operation to clear Majdal Zoun, an effort that has been underway for several months.
An initial report said an engineering vehicle had driven over an explosive device. It later emerged that the troops had entered a building that had been rigged with explosives.
The four seriously wounded soldiers were evacuated to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
Majdal Zoun is located in the western sector of the security zone, south of the so-called yellow line and in an area controlled by the IDF.
Fires caused by artillery strikes in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon
(Photo: AFP)
It remained unclear whether the explosive device had been planted before the ceasefire was declared or after it came into effect.
In response, the IDF struck what it described as terrorist infrastructure in the area, saying the attacks were carried out “in response to Hezbollah’s blatant violation.”
The targets included weapons depots and operational apartments used by the terrorist organization, according to the military.
The IDF also struck the nearby village of al-Mansouri after its Arabic-language spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents.
“Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire is forcing the IDF to act against it with force,” she said.
Strikes continue overnight
Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon continued overnight.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese network Al Mayadeen reported that Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck al-Mansouri and Burj al-Shamali in the Tyre region.
The report said three drone strikes were also carried out in the Burj al-Shamali area and that rescue teams evacuated several wounded people. The IDF also reportedly fired artillery shells toward the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon.
The military described its strikes as targeted.
ynet reported Wednesday that senior IDF officials had sought a broader response, but Israel’s political leadership restrained the military and, for the time being, ordered more limited attacks.
A stronger response could still be approved following further consultations with Netanyahu.
Fires were also reported in the Majdal Zoun area following Israeli strikes.
During the war, the IDF discovered a large underground complex and a Hezbollah drone base in Majdal Zoun known as “the fortress.”
The military said the site had served as a staging ground for Hezbollah operatives and contained Iranian-made aircraft and large quantities of explosives.
Israeli forces have continued searching the area for additional weapons and military infrastructure.
First published: 06:07, 08.06.26