IDF Investigating Cause of Blast That Killed Two Reservists

Two reservists were killed and four additional soldiers were seriously wounded after a powerful explosion inside a building in southern Lebanon.

By United with Israel Staff

The Israel Defense Forces are investigating whether the explosion that killed two Israeli reservists in southern Lebanon on Wednesday was caused by Israeli demolition explosives rather than a Hezbollah-planted bomb, as initially suspected.

The fallen soldiers were identified as Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, a company commander from Nokdim, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, of Eilat. Both served in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade.

The two were killed and four additional reservists were seriously wounded after a powerful explosion inside a building in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun, where IDF forces were operating against Hezbollah infrastructure.

Initial assessments suggested the blast had been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Hezbollah. However, Israeli defense officials are now examining the possibility that the explosion may instead have been triggered by Israeli explosive material inside the structure during preparations for its demolition.

The building had been identified by the IDF as a Hezbollah site and was slated for destruction as part of ongoing operations aimed at dismantling the terrorist organization’s military infrastructure near the Israeli border.

Following the deadly incident, the IDF carried out targeted strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, saying the operation was launched in response to the terrorist organization’s blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, reports indicated that the United States intervened to prevent a broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah following the attack. According to the reports, Washington helped mediate between the sides and encouraged Israel to limit the scope of its military response in order to preserve ongoing diplomatic efforts.

The reported U.S. intervention also reportedly helped facilitate the resumption of a third round of talks in Rome, part of the seventh round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. According to the reports, the goal was to maintain the momentum of the diplomatic process and prevent the negotiations from collapsing despite the deadly incident.

The IDF has not yet announced the findings of its investigation into the cause of the explosion, which remains ongoing.