IDF infantry platoon commander killed by Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon

Slain officer named as Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, who was set to marry fiancé next month; IDF says it struck over 100 Hezbollah targets over weekend

An IDF officer was killed in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon on Friday, the military announced Saturday evening, as limited fighting continued with the Iran-backed terror group despite a newly extended ceasefire.

The slain officer was named as Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, from Itamar.

Recanati was set to marry his fiancée, Rani, in a month, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We all embrace her and his loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement read.

He was the seventh IDF soldier to be killed in southern Lebanon since the start of the ceasefire, and the 20th since hostilities escalated amid the Iran war. A civilian contractor has also been killed in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the IDF said Saturday that it shot down several Hezbollah drones that were flying in areas of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating. The drones triggered sirens in several border communities in the Western Galilee.

Additionally, Hezbollah launched several rockets and mortars at troops in southern Lebanon. The IDF said the projectiles struck near the forces but did not cause any injuries.

For its part, the IDF said Saturday evening that it had struck some 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the weekend.

According to the military, the targets included surveillance posts, weapon depots, and other infrastructure used by the terror group to advance attacks.

The strikes were carried out across southern Lebanon, including in the Tyre area.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes on more than two dozen villages on Saturday, including one more than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border.

It also reported a new exodus of residents toward the southern city of Sidon and the capital Beirut.

The latest strikes come after envoys from Israel and Lebanon held negotiations in Washington, following the first direct talks in decades last month between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations. They agreed to extend the ceasefire for 45 days, the US announced Friday.

Hezbollah opposes the negotiations, saying Saturday that the Lebanese government is offering a “series of free concessions” to “the enemy.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that he “welcomes” the extension and “urges all actors to fully respect the cessation of hostilities.”

The ceasefire has been in place for a month, but the US has allowed Israel to continue targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure deemed a threat.

Hezbollah has, meanwhile, also targeted Israeli forces who have created a deep buffer zone in southern Lebanon, which Jerusalem says is designed to prevent Hezbollah attacks on communities across the border. Hezbollah has also continued to fire drones and rockets at northern Israel.

However, the ceasefire has largely held in Beirut and other areas further away from the border following US pressure on Israel.

The terror group renewed the conflict when it began attacking Israel in March amid the US-Israel war against the Iranian regime.

Lebanon, whose government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, is demanding a halt to Israel’s strikes and full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel, which accuses Beirut of failing to disarm Hezbollah, demands that the terror group give up its weapons. Hezbollah itself has rejected the direct talks and insisted its weapons are not up for discussion.