The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday the deaths of two reservists killed in action in southern Lebanon. They were Chief Master Sergeant (res.) Tamir Vaknin (33) from Eilat, a soldier in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Reserve Brigade, and Major (res.) Harel Birenstock (34) from Nokdim, a company commander in the same battalion.
We mourn the loss of two IDF soldiers from the 2855th Battalion, 55th Brigade, who fell in combat in southern Lebanon:
🕯️ Major (Res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, from Nokdim, a company commander.
🕯️ Sergeant Major (Res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, from Eilat, a combat soldier.Our hearts are… pic.twitter.com/otQGTKTCgN
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 6, 2026
Four other reservists were seriously injured in the incident. They were taken to Israeli hospitals for medical treatment. The families of all those affected have been notified.
According to the IDF, the incident occurred on Wednesday around noon in the Majdal Zoun area of southern Lebanon. Soldiers from the 55th Reserve Brigade were deployed there to dismantle Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in a building. During the operation, a powerful explosion occurred, killing Birenstock and Vaknin and seriously injuring four other reservists. The army is currently investigating the cause of the explosion.
Israeli forces are continuing their operations in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreed at the end of June. According to the Israeli government, the operations are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from violating the security agreements and hindering the reconstruction of its military infrastructure in the border region.
On Wednesday, the IDF ordered residents of the southern Lebanese town of Mansouri to evacuate. Subsequently, according to the military, the Israeli Air Force attacked several Hezbollah targets. Israel stated that the attacks targeted military installations that posed an immediate threat to the country’s security.
In parallel, talks are underway between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States, regarding the implementation of the security agreement reached at the end of June. This agreement includes, among other things, the gradual expansion of so-called pilot zones, in which the Lebanese army is to assume progressively greater responsibility. However, Israel has repeatedly emphasized that it will only further reduce its military presence in the border region once the threat posed by Hezbollah has been permanently eliminated.
With the deaths of the two reservists, the number of Israeli soldiers killed on all fronts since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, rises to 968, according to official IDF figures. The incident underscores once again how fragile the security situation on Israel’s northern border remains despite the ceasefire and how dangerous the IDF’s operations against Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure continue to be.
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