Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo hy”d, 19, of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion from Herzliya, was killed Thursday in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon, as the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire shows signs of complete collapse.
Hezbollah launched two explosive-laden drones at Israeli troops stationed in the village of Qantara. One drone was intercepted, but the second detonated near the forces, killing Hamo and wounding another soldier moderately.
In response, the IDF conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area while evacuating casualties.
The attack marks the latest escalation in renewed violence between Israel and Hezbollah. Earlier Thursday, twelve Israeli soldiers were wounded in a separate drone strike on an artillery position near the border community of Shomera, with the military investigating whether the attack involved fiber-optic-guided drones that are immune to electronic jamming.
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in recent days, while Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed nine people, including two children. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned what he called “continuing Israeli violations” of the ceasefire, calling for international pressure on Israel to halt strikes on civilians and medical personnel.
The IDF maintains it is acting in response to Hezbollah threats and ceasefire violations, and has launched waves of airstrikes against Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon in recent operations.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
