ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

AUGUST 6, 2026 06:20

Updated: AUGUST 6, 2026 11:30

Two IDF reservists lost their lives while four others suffered serious wounds when an explosive device triggered inside a booby-trapped house during a combat operation in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military stated on Thursday.

Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, from Efrat, acted as company commander in Battalion 2855 of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, and M.-Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, from Eilat, served as a combat soldier in the identical battalion.

Birenstock was married and father to four children, one of them a six-month-old infant.

Rambam Medical Center reported on Thursday morning that the four injured reservists remained in serious condition.

Birenstock and Vaknin died during a search mission in Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon, an area the IDF had not previously checked after Hezbollah fighters withdrew from the town in March.

The squad stepped into a booby-trapped house where a device detonated on entry, causing part of the structure to fall. Forces hurried to help the reservists caught under debris, and Birenstock and Vaknin were taken out along with four other reservists injured to different extents.

The IDF labeled the blast a clear breach of the ceasefire and hit weapon storage sites plus command centers in southern Lebanon, while also sending evacuation alerts to the town of Mansouri. The Lebanese health ministry noted on Wednesday that one person died and 12 others were hurt in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Tibnin, roughly 25 kilometers from Mansouri.

The clash occurred as the newest round of discussions between Israel and Lebanon went on in Rome, following the two nations agreement in June on a US-brokered security plan meant to reduce tensions along the border.

The previous occasion an IDF soldier was killed in Lebanon came on June 28, just over a month earlier, when Capt. David Hazzut, 21, from Ashkelon, died in a clash with a Hezbollah fighter.

Birenstock funeral is set to start at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem at noon. Vaknin funeral is planned for Thursday evening at the military cemetery in Eilat.

Katz: 'Birenstock, Vaknin were dedicated to reserve duty'

Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote, On behalf of the entire defense establishment, I extend my deepest condolences to the families.

He added: Harel and Tamir left behind families and full lives, yet they dedicated themselves to reserve duty with commitment, devotion, and a profound sense of mission. They fell while working for the security of the State of Israel and its residents in the North.

He also expressed support for the families during this difficult time and wished a speedy recovery to the four wounded reservists.

The Eilat Municipality described Vaknin as one of the finest sons of the city of Eilat.

Tamir, of blessed memory, was a hero of Israel, the salt of the earth, who fought bravely to defend the State of Israel. May his memory be a blessing, the statement read.

Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal also eulogized Birenstock.

We mourn the loss of Harel, who grew up in Gush Etzion and made his home here. I send my condolences to his parents, wife, children, brother, sisters, and entire family, he said.

Having served as a paratrooper himself, he extended his thoughts to the brigade, which had suffered a heavy blow today.

Though I am here in the hills of Gush Etzion, my heart is with you in the mountains of Lebanon, Rosenthal added.

Sarah Ben-Nun and Reuters contributed to this report.