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At least eight Israeli troops were killed by Hezbollah on October 2 as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attempted to make its first serious push into southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah announced in separate statements that its fighters targeted Israeli troops who advanced towards the towns of Odaisseh, Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun and Kfarkela. Later, the IDF admitted that five troops from the Egoz Commando Unit, two from the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit and one from the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit were killed.
The five Egoz commandos, including a team commander, and the Yahalom engineer were all killed during a gun battle with Hezbollah fighters, according to the IDF, which said that another officer and four soldiers were seriously wounded in the same incident.
The military also said that two soldiers of the Golani recon unit were killed in a separate incident, in which another soldier was seriously wounded. In a third incident, a combat medic with the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion was seriously wounded, per the military.
The Lebanese military said in a statement that Israeli troops advanced some 400 meters into Lebanon before withdrawing.
Hezbollah announced other attacks against the IDF. The group shelled several gatherings along the Lebanese border, struck a group of troops between Odaisseh and the site of Misgav Am, attacked an artillery position near the settlement of Neve Ziv and destroyed three Merkava main battle tanks near Maroun al-Ras using guided missiles.
While the IDF has announced the death of eight troops so far. Sky News Arabia, citing Israeli security sources, reported that at least 14 were killed. Dozens others were reportedly killed.
The clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border first broke out after the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, with Hezbollah and its allies launching near-daily attacks in support of the Palestinian enclave. Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon starting from September 17 and on September 27 it assassinated the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nassrallah. The IDF officially announced the launch of a ground operation in Lebanon on September 30.
Overall, the confrontation between Hezbollah and IDF has so far resulted in 26 civilian deaths in Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as well as the deaths of at least 30 soldiers and security officers. On the Lebanese side, at least 1,642 people have been killed, including more than 500 members of Hezbollah.
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