Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been in effect since April 17, the Hezbollah terrorist organization killed an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon on Sunday and wounded six others. It is the first direct deadly Hezbollah attack since the ceasefire came into effect — and it places the already fragile truce under serious strain.
Who was Idan Fooks?
The fallen soldier was identified as Sergeant Idan Fooks, 19, from Petach Tikva. He served in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. In the same drone attack, an officer and three other soldiers were seriously wounded, one soldier was moderately wounded, and another lightly wounded. All of the wounded were immediately evacuated to a hospital, and their families were notified. Fooks is the third Israeli soldier to fall in southern Lebanon since the start of the ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday evening with an official statement:
“Our hearts grieve for the fallen soldier, Sergeant Idan Fooks, of blessed memory, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon. My wife and I, together with all the citizens of Israel, extend our deepest condolences to Idan’s family and share in their heavy loss. We wish our wounded soldiers a swift and complete recovery. Idan fought with bravery and courage alongside his comrades in order to restore security to the residents of the north — and that is exactly what we will continue to do. May his memory be blessed and preserved forever.”
לב כולנו דואב את נפילתו של הלוחם סמל עידן פוקס ז״ל בקרב בדרום לבנון.
רעייתי ואני, יחד עם כל אזרחי ישראל, שולחים את תנחומינו מעומק הלב למשפחתו של עידן ז״ל ומשתתפים בצערה על האובדן הכבד, ומאחלים החלמה מהירה ושלמה ללוחמינו שנפצעו בתקרית הקשה.
עידן ז״ל לחם בגבורה ובעוז רוח יחד עם… pic.twitter.com/jcTX4zK7YK
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 26, 2026
IDF responds with airstrikes — Hezbollah denies attack
Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of repeatedly violating the ceasefire. The Iran-backed terror organization denied responsibility for the drone attack and, in turn, accused Israel of violating the truce.
After the deadly attack, the IDF responded with a wave of airstrikes and artillery fire in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure north of the Israeli-designated security zone. The terms of the ceasefire, which US President Donald Trump extended last week by three weeks, explicitly allow Israel to act against “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”
The attack comes at a time of heightened regional tension. As negotiations between the United States and Iran over ending the war remain stalled, Hezbollah appears to be using the fragile ceasefire to prove that it can still act — at the cost of a 19-year-old soldier from Petach Tikva.
Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, 941 Israeli soldiers have fallen.
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