2 Israeli military personnel killed at Lebanon border amid rising tensions

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) – Two Israeli military personnel, including an officer, were killed and another was injured in attacks on the northern border with southern Lebanon on Thursday, the army said.

According to Israeli army statement, officer Nael Fwarsy was killed by a drone in western Galilee, while soldier Tomer Keren was killed by an anti-tank missile strike in Mount Rameh in the upper Galilee region.

In a separate statement, the Israeli army stated that "the missile strike resulted in serious injuries to another soldier," but did not specify how and where he sustained the injuries.

Number of Israeli soldiers who were killed since Oct. 7 has reached 715, including 346 in ground battles in Gaza since Oct. 27, according to the army’s figure.

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah announced drone attacks on military sites in northern Israel, following two deadly days in which wireless communication devices exploded across Lebanon, and the Israeli army bombarded two towns in southern Lebanon with phosphorus shells.

At least 37 people were killed and nearly 3,000 others injured on Tuesday and Wednesday in explosions that targeted thousands of wireless communication devices across the country.

There has been no Israeli comment on the blasts, which came amid an escalation in cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Israel’s deadly war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala