The Lebanese army announced Wednesday the death of one of its soldiers in an Israeli airstrike carried out the previous day in the western Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon. According to the official statement, the attack targeted an area near a Lebanese military post.
According to the army, the soldier was hit while rescue teams were attempting a humanitarian mission to evacuate him. Several rescuers were also reportedly killed during the operation, which took place under repeated Israeli airstrikes in the area.
Lebanese military authorities stated that the evacuation operations were complicated by the intensity of Israeli drone overflights and the ongoing security risks in the area. The soldier's body could not be recovered for several hours.
This latest attack comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire brokered by the United States and which came into effect on April 17. The agreement has since been extended until early July, but strikes and exchanges of fire continue regularly.
Since the start of the Israeli offensive in Lebanon on March 2, at least 3,213 people have been killed, according to official Lebanese figures. The fighting has caused significant population displacement and fueled fears of a wider regional escalation.
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