An IDF reservist soldier was killed, and seven were wounded, including senior officers, by a Hezbollah explosive device in southern Lebanon the day before, the military announced Thursday.
The slain soldier was named as Master Sgt. (res.) Alexander Filin, 29, a combat soldier with the 36th Division’s headquarters, from Haifa.
At around 5 p.m., the deputy commander of the 36th Division, his forward command team and other soldiers were walking along the Litani River when they were hit by a blast.
The military said the deputy division commander, with the rank of colonel; a battalion commander in the 556th Transport Regiment, a reservist officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel; and another reservist were moderately injured.
In addition, a combat soldier, two combat reservists and a servicewoman were lightly injured in the explosion.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
The IDF said the soldiers were all taken to hospitals and their families were notified.
IDF troops operate at the Litani River in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published by the military on May 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
An initial IDF probe suggested the blast was a Hezbollah explosive device, with further details under investigation.
Following the incident, the IDF said it carried out artillery shelling on Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
Lebanese media later reported one dead and another critically wounded in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the strike hit a car near Kfar Tebnit, a village near Nabatieh where the Israeli army has been operating in recent days.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF on the strike.
Filin immigrated alone from Ukraine when he was 12, and in 2016, shortly after he had completed basic training, foiled a Palestinian attack, according to Hebrew media reports. He was manning a checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Nablus when an assailant attacked him and another soldier. Filin managed to kick the attacker away and then shoot him to end the assault.
In 2018, he was presented with the President’s Award for Excellence.
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday meant to end the Middle East war, with fighting halted on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict when Tehran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones at Israel on March 2 in support of Iran. The attacks disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of people in northern Israel who were repeatedly driven to seek safety in bomb shelters at all hours of the day and night, playing havoc with their daily lives. Many of those residents had evacuated their towns during a previous round of Hezbollah attacks, which began in October 2023 and came to a halt in November 2024.
Alongside an air campaign against Hezbollah, Israel invaded southern Lebanon, which it says it will hold as a security zone to keep Hezbollah from its northern border. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese residents have been evacuated from the area.
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit, June 13, 2026. (Abbas Fakih/AFP)
On Wednesday, five IDF soldiers were injured — one of them seriously — by explosive drones launched by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon while the army continued airstrikes in the same region, causing several Lebanese casualties.
The IDF also said it struck and destroyed the launcher used by Hezbollah to fire a barrage of rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon earlier.
The military says the launcher was armed for an additional attack, and, as a result of the strike, rockets flew out and struck open areas.
No injuries were caused to Israeli troops in the incident.
תוך דקות בודדות: חיל-האוויר השמיד את המשגר ממנו חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחות צה"ל
דקות בודדות לאחר שארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שיגר רקטות לעבר כוחות צה"ל, חיל-האוויר תקף את המשגר שהיה טעון ומוכן לשגר רקטות נוספות. בעקבות התקיפה, רקטות נוספות נפלטו מהמשגר ונפלו בשטח פתוח בדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/8EMY2Ssuke
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 17, 2026
The IDF also launched an interceptor missile toward a suspected Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating. There were no injuries to Israeli forces in the incident.
Iran says the ceasefire with the US must also end hostilities in Lebanon, and that a permanent deal must lead to an Israeli withdrawal. Israeli officials have said they will not be bound in Lebanon by the terms of the Iran-US agreement, which calls for 60 days of negotiations to reach a more permanent ceasefire.
Israeli and Lebanese officials have been holding face-to-face talks in Washington to reach their own lasting ceasefire agreement, separate from the US-Iran negotiations.
The talks — which Israel has said are ultimately ai…
Read the full article at The Times of Israel →📄Source document: IDF statement
5 reports
The Times of IsraelIndependentCenterFactual 85Objective 853 days agoAn IDF reservist soldier was killed and seven others were wounded, including senior officers, by what the IDF believes to be a Hezbollah explosive device in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred when the deputy commander of the 36th Division and his team were walking along the Litani River. The IDF has launched an investigation into the attack and conducted artillery shelling in response.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a military incident without overtly biased language, framing, or emphasis. It provides factual information about the event, the casualties, and the IDF's response, without apparent ideological slant.
The Jerusalem PostIndependentCenterFactual 85Objective 856 days agoTwo IDF soldiers were wounded when Hezbollah fired rockets at their position in southern Lebanon. One soldier sustained a light injury, while the other suffered a moderate injury. Both received initial medical care on-site before being evacuated to an Israeli hospital. The soldiers belong to the IDF's 7th Armored Brigade's 77th Battalion, part of the 36th Division, which has been advancing northward toward the Lebanese city of Nabatieh. The IDF described Nabatieh as a key Hezbollah stronghold. Reports indicate that Israel is considering halting ground operations in Lebanon if a U.S.-Iran cease
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the incident without apparent ideological framing. It includes details about the injuries, the units involved, and the military's stated objectives, but does not exhibit clear bias in language, sourcing, or emphasis.
Official sources cited
- government IDF
- government KAN
i24NEWSIndependentCenterFactual 85Objective 8510 days agoThe Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have announced plans to broadcast World Cup games for soldiers stationed in Lebanon.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a logistical decision by the IDF regarding entertainment for soldiers. There is no evident framing or slant in the brief text provided, and the subject matter does not carry inherent political controversy.
i24NEWSIndependentCenterFactual 75Objective 7010 days ago IDF To Broadcast World Cup Games For Soldiers Based In LebanonThe Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have announced plans to broadcast World Cup games for soldiers stationed in Lebanon.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a logistical decision by the IDF regarding entertainment for soldiers. There is no evident framing or slant in the brief text provided, and the subject matter does not carry inherent political controversy.
The Jerusalem PostIndependentCenter2 days ago Four IDF soldiers killed while fighting in southern Lebanon, military announcesThe Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that four soldiers were killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon. One of the deceased soldiers was identified as Lieutenant-Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, from Beit HaShita, who served as the commander of the 52nd Battalion, part of the 401st Brigade. The incident occurred when a suspicious object struck a tank operated by forces from the Givati Brigade in the village of Tebnit. The military has confirmed that all families have been informed, but the identities of the other three soldiers remain undisclosed. Ben Simhon had assumed his
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual information about an incident involving IDF soldiers without apparent ideological framing, biased language, or selective sourcing. It focuses on the event itself, the casualties, and the military response.
IL