The Israel Defense Forces said two soldiers were killed on Thursday in separate incidents in southern Lebanon, as fighting with Hezbollah intensified alongside ongoing missile attacks from Iran. Sergeant Aviad Elhanan Wolansky, 21, from Jerusalem, a tank crewman in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, was killed by anti-tank fire during operations in southern Lebanon. Four other soldiers were lightly wounded in the same incident.
Wolansky is the fourth Israeli soldier to be killed in southern Lebanon since the outbreak of the war with Iran, the military said.
Earlier on Thursday, Sergeant Uri Greenberg, 21, from Petah Tikva, was killed in a separate clash with Hezbollah fighters.
Additional casualties reported
The military said several other soldiers were wounded in multiple incidents on Wednesday in southern Lebanon. A regular army soldier was seriously injured by a mortar shell, while a reservist was seriously wounded by rocket fire. An officer sustained moderate injuries from shrapnel during operational activity.
Israeli forces have been engaged in sustained ground and aerial operations against Hezbollah positions along the border, as exchanges of fire have become more frequent and deadly.
Iranian missile barrages kill one in Nahariya
Iran continued launching missile attacks toward Israel, with impacts reported in several locations, including the northern coastal city of Nahariya.
Emergency services said one person was killed in Nahariya, with additional civilians wounded by blast effects and shrapnel. Residential buildings and infrastructure sustained damage in multiple areas.
Air raid sirens sounded across wide parts of northern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva, sending residents into shelters as air defense systems intercepted many of the incoming missiles.
Political tensions rise over troop shortages
The intensifying conflict has also exposed growing strains within Israel’s military manpower, fueling political debate.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the Chief of Staff had warned the cabinet that the army was facing severe personnel shortages and difficulty sustaining reserve mobilization.
“He no longer can continue mobilizing reservists,” Lapid said, adding that some reservists were serving their sixth and seventh rotations and were “worn out and exhausted.”
Lapid also said regular forces were under severe strain and warned that what he described as continued exemptions from military service were harming the army’s operational readiness.
The military has not publicly confirmed those assessments.
Multi-front escalation raises concerns
The latest developments highlight the widening scope of the conflict, with Israel facing simultaneous threats from Iranian missile fire and Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.
Civilian casualties have been reported across several cities in recent days, as some missiles or interception debris struck populated areas.
Military officials say operations in southern Lebanon are ongoing, while the continued missile launches by Iran have raised concerns about a prolonged and broader regional conflict, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
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