The Israeli military reported that eight soldiers were killed in combat operations in Lebanon on Wednesday, marking the first fatalities since Israeli forces crossed the border to engage Hezbollah. Among those killed was Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, who was the first to be reported dead during the ground operations. The IDF later confirmed that seven additional soldiers had fallen during the offensive.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, stated that its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in a southern border village. Earlier, Hezbollah claimed to have forced Israeli soldiers to withdraw after an attempt to enter the border village of Adaysseh. This marked the first instance of fighting on Lebanese soil since the recent escalation, during which the Israeli military targeted southern Lebanon and conducted an airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah’s spokesman, Mohammad Afif, indicated that the clashes were just the beginning of a larger confrontation. He added that Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon were on high alert and fully prepared for ongoing resistance.
The Lebanese army also reported that Israeli forces had briefly breached the Blue Line, a demarcation between the two countries, advancing around 400 meters into Lebanese territory before withdrawing.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for over 20 villages and towns in southern Lebanon, urging residents to leave the area as the conflict intensifies.
