Two Israeli Officers Killed and Four Wounded in Lebanon Bomb Blast During Terror Infrastructure Operation

Two Israeli officers, Lieutenant Colonel Harel Birnstok, 34, from Nokdim, and Major Tamir Vaknin, 33, from Eilat, were killed on August 5 in a bomb explosion during an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operation in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred around noon in the Majdal Zoun area when soldiers from Brigade 55 entered a booby-trapped building to clear terror infrastructure. The explosive device detonated as the force entered, killing the two officers and severely wounding four other soldiers.

Following the attack, the IDF's 91st Division launched retaliatory strikes targeting Hezbollah weapons depots and command centers in southern Lebanon. It remains unclear whether the bomb was recently placed or an old device. The IDF spokesperson accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and issued warnings to residents of southern Lebanon, particularly in the village of Al-Mansouri, urging them to evacuate their homes and maintain a safe distance from Hezbollah operatives and military assets to avoid harm.

Lieutenant Colonel Birnstok is survived by his wife and children. Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, expressed condolences and solidarity with the fallen soldiers' families and the paratrooper brigade affected by the loss. The incident underscores ongoing tensions and hostilities in the border region between Israel and Lebanon.