Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon fighting

Jerusalem: Israeli military said Friday that one of its soldiers died in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 20 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan, 20, “killed during combat in southern Lebanon”, the military said, without providing additional information.

Dagan was hit by a mortar shell fired by Hezbollah troops in southern Lebanon at around 10 p.m. on Thursday. His death was declared at the scene, Israeli media reported.

He is the 19th Israeli soldier killed since Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the wider regional war on March 2, and the sixth since US President Donald Trump announced a truce in Lebanon on April 16.

A Defense Ministry civilian contractor has also been killed in southern Lebanon in the renewed conflict with Hezbollah.

Two Israieli have also been killed in Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery shelling.

The IDF and Hezbollah continued exchanging blows Thursday evening into Friday, with Israel issuing new evacuation orders in southern Lebanon on Friday morning ahead of fresh strikes, after the Iran-backed group fired a rocket at northern Israel.