File image.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged on June 19 that an officer and three soldiers were killed overnight in a Hezbollah attack in the southern Lebanese town of Kfartebnit, and five soldiers were wounded there hours later.
Clashes have intensified in southern Lebanon, mainly to the north of the Litani River, since the United States and Iran reached signed earlier in the week a memorandum of understanding that committed them and their allies to halt all hostilities in the country.
The deadly attack came after Hezbollah reported several failed advance attempts by the IDF in Kfartebnit and the nearby strategic height of Ali al-Taher — where a large underground base with a complex network of tunnels is reported to be located.
In the Hezbollah attack shortly past midnight, a suspected drone or anti-tank missile that struck the tank of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, killed all four crew members, the IDF said in a statement.
Ben Simhon took the helm of the 52nd Battalion earlier this year after the battalion’s commander was seriously wounded in south Lebanon.
Hours after the deadly strike on commander tank, a drone launched by Hezbollah struck forces of the Commando Brigade in Kfartebnit, wounding five soldiers, one of them seriously, according to the IDF.
The seriously wounded soldier was identified as a reservist officer. The four other wounded soldiers included three reservists and a non-commissioned officer.
In two separate statements, Hezbollah said its fighters monitored an Israeli force consisting of an armored platoon and an infantry platoon attempting to advance toward the northern side of Ali al-Taher and lured it into what it described as a “kill zone.”
The fighters then struck three Merkava main battle tanks with guided missiles, destroying them and setting them ablaze before launching intensive rocket and artillery attacks against the force.
Hezbollah added that another Israeli force attempted to evacuate dead and wounded soldiers under heavy smoke cover while firing dozens of illumination rounds. The force was, however, swiftly targeted with rocket volleys and mortar shells, according to the group.
The operations were carried out in defense of Lebanon and its people and in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah declared.
The IDF intensified its strikes on southern Lebanon amid the clashes, and later the Lebanese health ministry said that 18 people were killed.
The serious losses inflicted by Hezbollah led to outrage in the Israeli political echelon. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, said that “all of Lebanon must burn.”
“For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must cry,” he said. “With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make clear to the whole world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not expendable.”
The ceasefire in Lebanon, which was brokered by the U.S. in April, is now de-facto over. In addition, Israel appears to be using the battle with Hezbollah to challenge the American-Iranian MoU which includes a halt to all hostilities in Lebanon in writing.
Further escalation by Israel in Lebanon is to be expected, and this will certainly affect talks between the U.S. and Iran on a comprehensive peace agreement.
In fact, Hezbollah lawmaker Fadlallah told Reuters on June 19 that Iran had informed the group that negotiations with the U.S. cannot continue unless a real ceasefire is reached in Lebanon.
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i hope the russians and alawites pay dearly for their betrayal of the memory of leith abou fadel, nasrallah, utkin, and soleimani. that the murderers and thieves putler, trump and netanyahu will end up in prison.
and who will give 300 billion to rebuild iran if it doesn’t even have enough to pay for war costs because trump stole everything from america.
https://hawarnews.com/ar/142999
“tiny hats”in charge of the russian federation just as they are in north america. poutine is the recipient of all things usury gives him which is why the white genocide in ukraine continues without a decisive “rubbing out” of the polish “coke nosed” leprechaun placed in charge of it’$ regime!
hezbollah would have completely stuffed the idf had they not withdrawn from their strong defensive line in the south. hezbollah withdrew, in good faith, during the first ceasefire and now lebanon is paying the price
pura verdade, não dá pra acreditar em cessar-fogo com sionistas
no deal can be done with those zionist child killers, they have to be humbled on the battlefield.
04 militares israelenses mortos em 19 de junho de 2026. israel cada vez mais fraco e debilitado.
why doesn’t the headline lead with the deaths of 18 lebanese civilians, instead of the four kike-roaches who got exactly what was coming to them..