• An IDF soldier who was a part of the Brigade that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was seriously injured during combat today.
• Five IDF soldiers were killed in Southern Lebanon.
Five IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit were killed during the ongoing ground offensive in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military reported on Thursday. In addition to the fatalities, another officer and two soldiers were critically injured, with several more sustaining severe injuries in separate clashes in southern Lebanon.
Among the injured were an officer and two combat engineers from the Etzioni Brigade’s 8173rd Battalion, along with a soldier from the unit’s logistical support team, all hit by an anti-tank missile. In a separate firefight with Hezbollah fighters, a soldier from the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade was also seriously wounded.
In the southern Gaza Strip, a soldier from the 450th Battalion of the Bislamach Brigade—part of the unit that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday—was seriously injured during combat. The IDF confirmed that all the wounded had been evacuated to hospitals, and the families of both those killed and injured had been informed.
During a press briefing, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari revealed that Golani soldiers captured Hezbollah operatives during the clash in which the five soldiers were killed. Meanwhile, Hezbollah declared it was entering a new phase with Israel, stating that it was employing precision-guided missiles to target Israeli forces.
Hezbollah announced a “transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy,” forecasting further developments in the coming days.
While Hezbollah did not reference Yahya Sinwar’s killing, it emphasised that hundreds of its fighters were “fully prepared to counter any Israeli ground incursion” into southern Lebanon, and its attacks on Israel had been intensifying.
Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah reiterated the group’s military objectives, stating that they would continue fighting “with all available means” to block Israel’s goals.
