Israel reports troop deaths as Lebanon talks underway in Rome

Israel announced the deaths of two reservists in combat in southern Lebanon on Thursday, marking the first Israeli military fatalities in the region in more than a month. The fallen soldiers were identified as Major Harel Birenstock, 34, and Sergeant Major Tamir Vaknin, 33, from the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Brigade. Their deaths occurred on Wednesday.

The Israeli military stated that it conducted precise strikes in southern Lebanon in response to what it called "blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization." This action followed an evacuation warning issued to residents of the town of Mansouri. Lebanese state media reported that one person was killed and 11 were wounded in a separate Israeli strike.

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In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon.

These developments unfolded as U.S.-backed talks between Israel and Lebanon continued in Rome, with the stated aim of ending the hostilities. Israel requested an early end to the day's negotiations, with the head of the Israeli delegation reportedly blaming "misleading leaks" by the Lebanese side. The talks were scheduled to resume for a third and final day.

Previous U.S.-sponsored talks in June established a framework agreement involving Hezbollah's disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon. This week's negotiations represent the seventh round of such discussions. The Israeli military's evacuation warning to Mansouri cited Hezbollah's ceasefire violations as the reason for its compelled actions, urging residents to evacuate for their safety.

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For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north.