An Israel Defense Forces soldier was mortally wounded in a Hezbollah drone strike in Southern Lebanon, the military confirmed on Saturday night.
Capt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, from the Samaria town of Itamar, served as a platoon commander in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Infantry Brigade.
“Maoz was a member of the Recanati family, among the founders of Itamar, and like them, he was a courageous fighter and officer,” his hometown said in a statement. “Itamar embraces his parents, his siblings, and his fiancée during this difficult time. May we be comforted in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.”
Recanati was engaged to Rani Leah Kellerman, who studied at a religious seminary in Itamar, and was set to marry her on June 18, according to Ynet.
The total death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the War of Redemption—which was triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre—now stands at 945.
Recanati is the 20th Israeli soldier slain in Lebanon since the launch of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28 and the seventh since the start of the ceasefire around a month ago, Ynet reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, in a statement sent their “heartfelt condolences to the family of Maoz, of blessed memory, a heroic fighter who courageously led his soldiers against our enemies.
“Maoz was due to marry his fiancée, Rani, in about a month, and we all embrace her and his loved ones during this difficult hour,” they added. “May his memory be blessed and cherished in our hearts forever.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Recanati was an “admired commander—brave and devoted to his soldiers—who led from the front with responsibility, personal example and love of the land.”
“His death, shortly before he was due to build a home and marry the woman he loved, is heartbreaking and underscores the unbearable price paid by the best of our sons in the struggle for Israel’s security,” the minister continued.
“My heart is with his family, his fiancée, his comrades-in-arms and the soldiers of the IDF, who continue to fight courageously in Southern Lebanon to protect the northern communities and remove the threat hanging over Israeli civilians,” Katz said.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones at Israel on March 2, after the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28.
In response to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah and ordered the IDF to advance and take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks.
Jerusalem and Beirut on April 16 agreed to a 10-day ceasefire following mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump. The two countries on April 23 agreed to extend the truce for three more weeks following historic direct talks in Washington, D.C. A third round of talks on Friday led to the truce being extended for another 45 days.
However, Netanyahu on April 26 accused Hezbollah of “essentially disintegrating” the ceasefire through its incessant terrorist attacks.
“Therefore, as far as we are concerned, what obligates us is the security of Israel, the security of our soldiers, and the security of our communities,” the premier said. “We are acting vigorously according to the rules we agreed upon with the United States, and incidentally, with Lebanon as well.”
In several incidents on Friday and Saturday, Hezbollah terrorists fired explosive drones, mortar shells and rockets at IDF troops in Southern Lebanon.
In response, the military struck approximately 100 terrorist sites across Southern Lebanon over the weekend, it stated.
Among the targets struck were Hezbollah observation posts, weapons storage facilities and other sites “from which Hezbollah terrorists advanced attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel,” according to the statement.
Hezbollah’s attacks continued on Sunday morning, when the Israeli Air Force intercepted several rockets fired at soldiers stationed in Lebanon. No injuries were reported in the rocket assault.
In addition, an unmanned aerial vehicle impacted “near the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in Southern Lebanon,” it said. No IDF injuries were reported.
