Two IDF soldiers killed, one wounded, in Hezbollah drone attack on northern border

Two IDF reserve soldiers were killed when a drone launched by Hezbollah exploded in an army position near the northern town of Metula on Monday afternoon, Israel Defense Forces stated on Tuesday.

The attack was carried out by two drones, one of which was intercepted by the IDF’s aerial defense system. The other drone allegedly penetrated defenses and struck an IDF position near the border with Lebanon, killing two and lightly wounding another soldier.

The soldiers who lost their lives were Master Sgt. (res.) Dan Kamkagi (31) from Kfar Oranim, and Master Sgt. (res.) Nahman Natan Hertz, also 31, from Elazar. Both were soldiers in the 551st Reserves Paratroopers’ Brigade.

The Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the drone attack.

The IDF later stated that Israeli Air Force fighter jets had struck a building used by Hezbollah in the town of Srebbine and a rocket launch post in Ayta al-Shaab. In addition, Israeli artillery shelled an area near the town of Souaneh to remove an imminent threat.

מטוסי קרב תקפו בשעות האחרונות מבנה צבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב סרבין ועמדת שיגור של הארגון בעייתא א-שעב שבדרום לבנון.

מוקדם יותר היום כוחות צה"ל ביצעו ירי ארטילרי להסרת איום במרחב א-צוונה שבדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/770jdOrGfO

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 6, 2024

The deadly drone strike followed the most recent escalation over the past days in the skirmishes between the terror group and Israel, which began last October when Hezbollah decided to join Hamas in its attack against Israel.

The recent escalation cycle began on Sunday morning when the Hezbollah forces launched about 100 rockets in several heavy barrages toward the city of Kiryat Shmona, whose residents were evacuated last October.

Three Israelis were lightly wounded by the rockets that hit dozens of buildings, vehicles – including an ambulance – and critical infrastructure, causing electricity blackouts for several hours.

During the night, the Israeli Air Force struck a military compound of Hezbollah in the Baalbek area, around 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) deep inside Lebanon, and struck numerous other Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

The terror group reacted by launching a salvo of some 30 rockets at an IDF base on the Golan Heights before firing two drones at Metula, killing the two IDF soldiers.

Despite ongoing diplomatic mediation efforts by France and the United States, the intensity of the exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah has not diminished over the past months.

During April alone, Hezbollah attacks resulted in 37 Israeli casualties, according to Army Radio. Four Israelis were killed, including a civilian and three soldiers. In addition, five were wounded seriously, and 28 others were wounded moderately or lightly.

UN Sec.-Gen. António Guterres this week reiterated his “concern at the intensification of exchanges of fire.”

“Hezbollah's maintenance and use of significant and sophisticated military capabilities beyond the control of the Lebanese government remains a matter of grave concern. The widespread presence of weapons beyond the control of the state and the activity of several Lebanese and non-Lebanese armed militias continue to undermine security and stability in Lebanon,” he said.

However, he also strongly condemned ”all violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity” and called on Israel to respect its obligations under international law and Security Council resolutions, including by “immediately ceasing its overflights of Lebanese airspace.”