An IDF reservist was seriously wounded during an encounter with a Hezbollah terrorist in the southeastern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday.
The soldier was evacuated to a hospital in Israel and his family was notified, the military said.
Two other soldiers sustained light wounds in the incident and did not require evacuation, military sources reported.
The encounter occurred at around 6 p.m. inside Israel’s security zone, approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from the northern Israeli community of Moshav Avivim. Following the incident, an IDF tank fired at nearby buildings as part of standard operational procedures to isolate the area and eliminate any remaining terrorists.
In a separate statement, the IDF said troops from the Egoz commando unit, operating under the 36th Division, identified a Hezbollah terrorist emerging from one of the shafts of an underground tunnel complex at the Ali Taher Ridge, also within Israel’s security zone in Southern Lebanon.
“The terrorist posed an immediate threat to our forces,” the military said, adding that the Israeli Air Force, guided by ground troops, struck and “eliminated the terrorist to remove the threat.”
According to the IDF, Israeli forces continue operating in the area, preventing Hezbollah terrorists from emerging from the underground tunnel network or moving through the area.
“The IDF will continue operating to remove any threat to its forces and will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military said.
The developments came a week after Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed a framework agreement committing Lebanon to restore sovereignty over its territory through the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, paving the way for a gradual Israeli withdrawal. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.
During a visit to the security zone on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces would remain in Southern Lebanon until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to northern Israel.
