- An Israeli soldier was killed by an explosive drone strike in southern Lebanon on Sunday
- The soldier was Sgt. Idan Fooks, 19, from Petah Tikva, serving in the 7th Armored Brigade
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the drone attack, citing Israeli ceasefire violations
An Israeli soldier was killed on Sunday after an explosive drone struck troops in southern Lebanon even as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remained in place.
The soldier, identified as Sgt. Idan Fooks, 19, is from Petah Tikva, who served in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. Six other soldiers were reported injured in the same incident.
Fooks' girlfriend, a surveillance soldier, was on duty when the strike happened and saw the incident unfold in real time without initially knowing he was among those hit, according to a report in ynet.
His uncle, Shlomi Ara, told ynet that she had been tracking the situation as it developed.
“She saw the wounded and asked if Idan was there. They told her no, but she had a feeling he was. In hindsight, it turns out she saw her boyfriend — whom she loved so much and who loved her — killed in Lebanon. She is in shock, like all of us,” he added.
Ara described Fooks as closely connected to those around him, particularly his mother, whose grief they said has been overwhelming. Ara recalled him as someone who was “always smiling, with sea-coloured eyes that radiated goodness.” He noted that Fooks had performed strongly during his military training who had even received his commander's beret.
The Israel Defense Forces promoted Fooks from corporal to sergeant after his death, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the drone strike, saying it had targeted Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Taybeh in response to alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire, The Times of Israel reported.
Meanwhile, Israel has issued new evacuation orders in southern Lebanon where it asked residents in seven towns outside its designated “buffer zone” to leave their homes as ceasefire remains in place, Al Jazeera reported.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, an Israeli military spokesperson accused Hezbollah of violating the truce and said the military would respond, advising civilians in the affected areas to move towards the north and west.
“It must be understood that Hezbollah's violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting.
The ceasefire, mediated by the US, came into effect on April 16 and has been extended until mid-May.
