Israeli Soldier Killed in Hezbollah Drone Attack; 12th Death Since Ceasefire Began

Hezbollah's drone operations targeting Israeli military installations along the northern border have claimed another life, underscoring the mounting toll on Israeli forces despite the ceasefire agreement. A booby-trapped drone strike has killed an Israeli soldier and wounded several others in an attack near the border.

The deceased has been identified as Rotem Yanai, 20, from Givat Ada. Yanai, serving as a social support officer with the Rotem battalion of the Givati Brigade, sustained critical injuries while moving toward a protected area and was pronounced dead by medical personnel. The incident occurred near the Shomera settlement in the Western Galilee, adjacent to the Lebanese border.

Israeli media outlets reported that Hezbollah launched three explosive drones toward the Shomera area. The initial drone detonated in an open area, triggering a fire that required emergency responders from the neighboring Goren settlement to respond with specialized firefighting equipment. Minutes later, two additional drones were dispatched, with one striking the military installation directly. That strike killed Yanai and moderately to seriously wounded two reservist soldiers, who were transported to Galilee Hospital in Nahariya. Three other soldiers sustained light injuries in the incident.

In a separate incident, two soldiers from the Golani Brigade were lightly wounded after an anti-tank missile struck an Israeli force operating in southern Lebanon's eastern sector.

The death of Yanai brings the total Israeli military fatalities since the ceasefire commenced to 12, with eight of those killed in booby-trapped drone attacks attributed to Hezbollah. One civilian death has also been recorded during this period.

The strike follows a similar attack two days earlier that killed Nehurai Laser, 19, from Eilat, a member of the 601st Engineering Battalion of the 401st Brigade. The previous week also saw the death of Sergeant Noam Hamburger, 23, from Atlit, in a booby-trapped drone explosion at a military site near Burnet close to the Lebanese border. That incident also resulted in injuries to a soldier and another military personnel.

The succession of drone operations demonstrates the growing capacity of Hezbollah's weaponry to inflict sustained damage on Israeli forces. The organization has effectively weaponized booby-trapped drones as a persistent tactical tool on the northern front, maintaining pressure on Israeli military operations even within the framework of the stated ceasefire.