During IDF operations in Majdal Zoun, forces from Battalion 2855 entered a booby-trapped building where an explosive device detonated upon their entry, causing part of the structure to collapse and trap soldiers beneath the rubble.<\/p>\n
Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, were killed in the incident, the military said on Thursday. Four others were seriously wounded.<\/p>\n
The IDF immediately launched an investigation into the incident, while Defense Minister Israel Katz was said to have questioned the commanders\u2019 decision<\/a> to enter the explosives-laden building rather than destroy it from the outside, in line with his policy of avoiding unnecessary entry into suspected terrorist infrastructure.<\/p>\n The tragedy also highlighted the difficult balancing act Israel now faces.<\/p>\n The IDF\u2019s response to what it called a blatant violation of the ceasefire terms was more controlled and restrained than some expected it to be. Reports from Israel and Lebanon suggested that the military initially sought a broader response to the incident but ultimately opted for a more restrained one, amid ongoing American efforts to keep negotiations with Lebanon on track.<\/p>\n Whether or not every detail of those reports proves accurate, the broader reality that must be reckoned with is that every escalation on the ground now carries immediate diplomatic consequences.<\/p>\n Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome focusing on LAF pilot zones<\/p>\n So what happens next, both in Rome and in the Middle East?<\/p>\n The talks in Rome have focused on expanding pilot zones under Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) control, establishing verification mechanisms and creating conditions that could eventually lead to a more stable northern border.<\/p>\n Those mechanisms are intended in part to reduce the need for Israeli troops to repeatedly enter areas in Lebanon from which Hezbollah could launch an attack \u2013 a goal that Wednesday\u2019s tragedy underscored remains far from guaranteed. But every Hezbollah attack raises the same question: Can any agreement succeed while the terrorist organization remains armed and capable of carrying out deadly attacks?<\/p>\n The more violence escalates along the border, the more difficult it becomes not only to reach an agreement with Beirut but also to implement one.<\/p>\nIsraeli soldiers are seen inside southern Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 26, 2026 (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n