Israel Defense Forces Master Sgt. (res.) Alexander Filin, 29, was slain fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon, the military said on Thursday morning.
Filin, who served in the 36th Division’s headquarters, was killed on Wednesday when a bomb planted by Hezbollah exploded during IDF ground operations along the Litani River, Israel’s Ynet outlet reported.
Eight other soldiers were wounded in Wednesday’s incident, the IDF said, including three who sustained moderate injuries and five who were lightly hurt.
The IDF said the wounded soldiers were evacuated to hospitals and their families were notified.
“Alexander reported for reserve duty time and again, driven by a profound sense of mission,” Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X.
“I embrace his family during this difficult time,” he continued. “I wish a full and speedy recovery to the troops wounded in the incident, and I stand with the IDF soldiers and commanders who continue to operate with courage in Lebanon.”
Filin is the 18th Israeli to be killed by Hezbollah since April 16, when Jerusalem and Beirut agreed to a ceasefire following mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump. He is the first IDF casualty since Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding calling for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
The death toll among Israeli troops on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, now stands at 957, according to official IDF data.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, an IDF soldier sustained serious injuries when an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah hit near troops, the military said. Two others were moderately wounded, and two were lightly hurt.
The IDF subsequently launched an interceptor missile toward second “suspicious aerial target” that was spotted near soldiers deployed to Southern Lebanon, it stated. No IDF injuries were reported.
In another incident on Wednesday night, several Hezbollah rockets impacted near soldiers in the area. Additional rockets were intercepted by the Israel Air Force, and there were no injuries, according to the IDF.
In response to the rocket attacks, the IAF struck a launching pad,” which was loaded and ready to fire additional rockets,” a statement read. “As a result of the strike, additional rockets were launched from the launcher and fell in open areas in Southern Lebanon.”
Hezbollah renewed its rocket and drone attacks on Israel on March 2, following the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28.
In response, Israel launched a broad aerial campaign against Hezbollah terror targets and expanded military operations in Southern Lebanon aimed at preventing cross-border attacks on Israeli communities.
