5 Israeli soldiers killed, more wounded in heavy fighting in southern Lebanon; Hezbollah threatens ‘new phase’ of attacks

Israeli soldiers killed more than 60 Hezbollah operatives in heavy fighting in southern Lebanon over the past day – but also paid a heavy price. Five soldiers of the Golani Brigade were killed and several more wounded, the IDF announced Thursday.

The five soldiers were killed in a single incident in the central area of southern Lebanon. They were named as company commander Maj. Ofek Bachar (24) from Ness Ziona; team commander, Capt. Elad Siman Tov (23) from Tzofim; squad leader Staff Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder (22) and Staff Sgt. Yakov Hillel (21), both from Jerusalem; and Staff Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom (21) from Hebron.

Another officer and two more soldiers were seriously injured in the incident.

According to Army radio, the Golani reconnaissance forces had been fighting in the village for a week.

On Wednesday, they entered a building identified as a Hezbollah post after a bulldozer had destroyed part of the building, and several Matador missiles fired to eliminate the terrorists inside.

Israeli Ground Operations in Lebanon 🧵(1/3)

The IDF 98th Division expanded clearing operations in southeastern Lebanon. Commercially available satellite imagery from October 17 shows that the 98th Division has expanded its clearing operations west from Misgav Am, Israel, to the… https://t.co/VmnElVP9BJ pic.twitter.com/1Tn05csxP7

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) October 18, 2024

The unit then entered the building and located several tunnel shafts, including one used to store a significant number of weapons. After operating in the building for half an hour, four Hezbollah terrorists emerged from hiding and fired on the IDF soldiers from close range.

The terrorists killed three soldiers on the spot and wounded seven others before they, themselves, were killed. Two soldiers were pronounced dead at the hospital, three more were hospitalized in serious condition, and the other two suffered minor injuries.

During a press conference on Thursday night, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari announced that the Golani soldiers had captured Hezbollah terrorists during the battle when the five soldiers were killed.

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר יחד עם כוחות חטיבת האש 7338 תחת אוגדה 91 תקפו וחיסלו את המחבל חסין מחמד עואצ׳ה, מפקד גדוד במרחב בינת ג׳ביל בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
עואצ׳ה היה אחראי על קידום מתווי ירי ממספר כפרים במרחב בינת ג׳בל לשטח הארץ>> pic.twitter.com/iPHqBmYeJ1

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 17, 2024

Several other soldiers sustained serious injuries in other battles across southern Lebanon. The IDF said an airstrike that was ordered by soldiers of the IDF's 98th Division was responsible for killing Muhammad Hussein Rimal, Hezbollah’s local commander of the a-Taiba region.

In addition, the IDF's 7th Brigade located and destroyed several loaded and aimed rocket launchers. In other sectors, soldiers of the 36th and 91st Divisions located weapons, including sniper rifles, anti-tank missile launchers and Burkan-type heavy rockets primed for launch at Israel.

The commander of Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil battalion was killed in an airstrike called in by the 91st Division, the IDF announced on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, IDF troops eliminated 45 terrorists, while the IAF destroyed over 150 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the terror group declared the launch of a “new phase” in the war against Israel, in a statement released shortly after news broke of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Hezbollah announced “a transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, which will be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days.”

“Hundreds of fighters…are fully prepared to counter any Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanese villages,” the group said, adding it had increased its rocket attacks recently including “precision-guided ones…being deployed for the first time.”

The IDF has not yet confirmed the use of new types of precision-guided missiles in recent days.

לפני זמן קצר זוהה שיגור אחד שחצה משטח לבנון ונפל בשטח פתוח בצפון הארץ, לא הופעלו התרעות על פי מדיניות.

בהמשך להתרעה שהופעלה בראש הנקרה בשעה 09:41, חיל האוויר יירט בהצלחה מטרה אווירית חשודה שחצתה לשטח הארץ מלבנון>> pic.twitter.com/CDNM3mQhGM

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 18, 2024

On Friday, the IDF announced that a hostile drone was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea overnight. In the morning, 15 rockets were launched at targets across the Galilee region and along the Haifa Bay area.

Two more drones were shot down in the Western Galilee later on Friday morning.