Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, left, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, who were killed in combat in Southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The slain troops were identified as Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, from Nokdim, and Chief Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, from Eilat.<\/p>\n
Four IDF reservists were severely wounded in the same incident and evacuated to the trauma center at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, the hospital\u2019s spokesperson said on Thursday. All four remain in serious condition.<\/p>\n
The troops were killed when a booby-trapped building exploded as their force entered it, according to Hebrew media reports. Israel has not determined whether the structure was rigged before or after the ceasefire took effect.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned their deaths, calling Birenstock and Vaknin \u201camong our finest sons, courageous fighters who reported for reserve duty and fought heroically to defend the residents of the north and the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The premier said he and his wife extended their condolences to the bereaved families, \u201cwho have lost what is most precious to them,\u201d and wished a full recovery to the four soldiers wounded in the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay the memory of our heroes be blessed and enshrined in the heart of the nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarel and Tamir left behind families and full lives, yet reported for reserve duty every time with commitment, dedication and a profound sense of mission. They fell while defending the security of the State of Israel and the residents of the North,\u201d said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, offering condolences and wishing the wounded a full recovery.<\/p>\n
The deaths bring the IDF\u2019s toll on all fronts since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre to 968.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Israeli military said it conducted strikes in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a \u201cblatant violation\u201d of the ceasefire agreement by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization. The strikes followed an IDF evacuation warning issued earlier to residents of Al-Mansouri, a village located within the Security Zone.<\/p>\n
The IDF said it issued the warning to protect civilians\u2019 safety. According to the military, civilians had reached the area under the auspices of the Lebanese Armed Forces, which established a checkpoint there in violation of existing understandings.<\/p>\n
On the diplomatic front, a second day of U.S.-brokered talks<\/a><\/span> between Israel and Lebanon ended early in Rome on Wednesday, after the Jewish state requested that negotiations be suspended, a source on the Israeli negotiating team told JNS.<\/p>\nYechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States and head of the Jewish state\u2019s delegation, asked U.S. mediators to halt the talks<\/a><\/span> about three hours before their scheduled conclusion. The envoy did so \u201cfollowing repeated misleading leaks by the Lebanese delegation,\u201d according to the source.<\/p>\nMultiple media reports detailed purported developments from the negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was not immediately clear which of those leaks led to Leiter\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
Talks are expected to resume on Thursday, the final scheduled day of this round, the source told JNS.<\/p>\n
The Lebanese president\u2019s office stated that \u201cthe American side asked the Lebanese and Israeli delegations to stop today\u2019s meeting.\u201d The pause was sought \u201cto complete its contacts,\u201d the office said.<\/p>\n
Israeli and Lebanese technical teams opened a second round of negotiations in Rome on Tuesday, the seventh round of U.S.-facilitated talks aimed at implementing the trilateral framework agreement reached earlier this summer.<\/p>\n
The current round follows separate White House meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the launch of the first pilot zones in Southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IDF_deaths.webp\")