With hopes that a ceasefire might still be reached to end the invasion of Lebanon, clashes are still continuing in the country’s south. Today, an Israeli soldier from the Golani Brigade was reported killed and three others seriously wounded in a Hezbollah drone strike.
The incident was said to take place about 2 km from the Israel border, in southern Lebanon. The troops were carrying out a logistics and supply operation to support Israeli invasion forces, who have been pushing deeper into Lebanon in recent days.
The slain was identified as reservist Sgt. First Class Omer Moshe Gaeldor, who is originally from Jerusalem. The wounded have yet to be publicly identified, though their injuries are said to be substantial.
This brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the invasion of Lebanon to 49. This is, of course, far fewer than the roughly 3,500 Lebanese killed in the war. 36 Lebanese soldiers have been killed in the war, though Lebanon is not actually a combatant force in the conflict, which is against Hezbollah.
Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have reportedly agreed to a ceasefire to end the Israeli invasion. Israel has yet to formally respond yet, but there is considerable pessimism about that possibility, with the far-right in the Israeli government opposing any end to the war, and top officials suggesting they would reject any terms that actually require them to stop attacking Lebanon.
A ceasefire in Lebanon would potential allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes in the north, and in excess of one million displaced across Lebanon to go back home. Though US negotiators are said to still have high hopes for the process, most on the ground aren’t getting their hopes up too much, as past proposals have come and gone with little actual change in the situation.
