The IDF said Saturday night it had cleared for publication the names of two soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon during the day. They were Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, of Herzliya, a tank crewman in Battalion 52 of the 401st “Iron Trails” Division, and Master Sgt. Nir Ben Ari, 21, from Kerem Maharal, a fighter in the Maglan special forces unit of the Commando Brigade.
According to the military, both were killed as Israeli troops continued operating in the area against Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. Their families were notified by IDF officers. The deaths came amid continued combat in southern Lebanon despite reports of a political understanding on a ceasefire.
An American official had said over the weekend that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire that took effect Friday at 4:00 p.m. Israeli officials, however, said the deal allows the IDF to remain in southern Lebanon with full freedom of action. The army said it had received instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to hold fire in southern Lebanon, while maintaining high readiness and continuing to operate in the area. Senior IDF officers reportedly opposed the instruction, but stressed that the ceasefire does not require a withdrawal.
Heavy exchanges of fire continued through the Sabbath. Hezbollah claimed 111 of its fighters were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the weekend, after a separate tank disaster that killed four IDF soldiers, including Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Gdalia Ben Shimon. In addition, five soldiers were wounded on Wednesday, one seriously, when two explosive drones hit IDF forces in southern Lebanon. Earlier in the week, the IDF also announced that reserve Master Sgt. Alexander Filin, 29, of Haifa, from Division 36 headquarters, was killed in combat near the Litani River by the village of al-Taybeh, where seven other soldiers were injured by an explosive device.
