Two IDF soldiers killed in southern Lebanon as fighting against Hezbollah continues
Army says Cpt. Shahar Gamla, 23, of elite Egoz Unit was severely hurt by drone, later succumbed to wounds; Sgt. Ohad Yaari, 21, killed by suspected accidental gunfire
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Two Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon over the weekend, the military announced Saturday night, as fighting with the Hezbollah terror group continued despite the nominal truce in effect between Israel and Lebanon.
Cpt. Shahar Gamla, 23, a deputy squad commander in the Commando Brigade’s Egoz Unit, from Natur, was severely injured by a Hezbollah drone late Thursday.
He was taken to a hospital, and on Saturday morning, succumbed to his wounds, the army said.
In a separate incident on Friday, Sgt. Ohad Yaari, 21, of the Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion, from Rehovot, was killed by a suspected accidental firearm discharge in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces said that the circumstances of the incident were under investigation by the Military Police.
The deadly incidents came as Israel continued its heavy bombardment of southern Lebanon, saying Saturday that it struck around 150 Hezbollah infrastructure sites across southern Lebanon over the weekend.
The targets included weapon depots, command centers, rocket launchers, and other infrastructure, according to the IDF.
במהלך סוף השבוע: חיל-האוויר תקף כ-150 תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון
בניהם: מחסני אמצעי לחימה, מפקדות, משגרים ותשתיות נוספות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב דרום לבנון.
התשתיות שהותקפו שימשו את מחבלי הארגון לקידום והוצאה לפועל של מתווי טרור נגד כוחות צה"ל. pic.twitter.com/lzWYnDIC7X
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 6, 2026
Earlier Saturday, the army issued mass evacuation orders to much of the country’s south, telling residents to move north of the Zahrani River ahead of IDF strikes against Hezbollah in the area.
The Hiram hospital in southern Lebanon’s Tyre said one of its nurses was killed in a strike while heading to work.
The Israeli military also conducted several strikes across east Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media.
Hezbollah meanwhile said it had targeted Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, and an artillery position near Israel’s side of the border. Sirens continued sounding throughout the day in northern Israel amid ongoing drone attacks.
Additionally, one apparent Hezbollah drone struck near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the army said Saturday night. No injuries were caused in the incident.
Lebanese army chief visits Pakistan for US-Iran talks
Meanwhile, Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal left Lebanon for Pakistan on Saturday, where he was due to meet his Pakistani counterpart, the Lebanese military said, with a source telling AFP the visit is linked to broader Iran-US talks.
In a statement, the army said that Haykal “left Lebanon for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.”
A source with knowledge of the matter told AFP Haykal’s visit was “linked to the Pakistani mediation to resolve” issues between the United States and Iran.
“Lebanon is [a] critical part of the negotiations,” the source added, requesting anonymity.
غادر قائد الجيش العماد رودولف هيكل لبنان إلى جمهورية باكستان الإسلامية، تلبية لدعوة من نظيره الباكستاني المشير سيد عاصم منير رئيس أركان الجيش وقائد قوات الدفاع الباكستانية.#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmyhttps://t.co/fodDVFIlOE pic.twitter.com/Fyk1XSuiDG
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) June 6, 2026
Munir is Islamabad’s key negotiator between the United States and Iran to end the war, which Lebanon was drawn into when Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2 to avenge the February 28 US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
Israel responded with an extensive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion, and exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have not stopped despite an ongoing truce.
Iran insists Lebanon be included in any agreement with the United States to end the regional war. But Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said, in an interview with CNN aired on Friday, that Iran must stop interfering in Lebanon, which has engaged in its own direct talks with Israel.
“It’s not your country, it’s our country,” he said. “It’s not your job to interfere into our country.”
“They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States. It’s unacceptable,” he added.
A new conditional truce was announced by Lebanese and Israeli envoys this week in Washington. It would require Hezbollah to stop firing, withdraw from near the Israeli border and would see Lebanon’s army deploy to new “pilot zones” in the area, where it will exercise exclusive control.
But Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
The Times of Israel Community.