Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in an ongoing ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the country is “in the midst of a bitter war with the Iranian axis of evil.”
The Israeli Defense Forces are Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster (22 years old), Captain Harel Ettinger (23 years old), Captain Itai Ariel Guiat (23 years old), Sergeant First Class Noam Barzilai (22 years old), and First Sergeant Or Manzur. Sergeant First Class (21), Sergeant First Class Nazar Itkin (21), Staff Sergeant Almuken Terefe (21) and Staff Sergeant Ido Breuer (21) “crashed during combat in southern Lebanon.”
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of our heroes who fell in Lebanon today,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message. “May God avenge their deaths. May their memory be a blessing.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “We are in the middle of a bitter war with the Iranian axis of evil who wants to destroy us. That will not happen, because we are united, and with God's help, we will win together. ” he added. “We will return the hostages of the south, we will return the people of the north, and we will guarantee the eternity of Israel.”
Israeli army announces regular infantry and armored forces will participate in limited ground operations in southern Lebanon
From left to right: Staff Sergeant Ido Breuer, Staff Sergeant Almken Terefe, Sergeant First Class Manzl, and Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster. Below: Sergeant First Class Nazar Itkin, Captain Harel Ettinger, Sergeant First Class Noam Barzilai, and Captain Itai Ariel Jatt. (Israel Defense Forces)
Details of the incident that led to the soldier's death were not immediately available.
IDF Arabic spokesman Avichai Adlai on Wednesday warned residents of 24 communities in southern Lebanon to evacuate for their own safety.
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Family and friends of Capt. Eitan Itzhak Oster speak of their loss at his graveside during his funeral service Oct. 2 at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“Hezbollah’s activities are forcing the Israel Defense Forces to take strong action against it. We need to evacuate and head north of the Awari River. Save lives,” he said. At X.
“Anyone who is near Hezbollah members, facilities, or combat equipment is risking their lives. Any home used by Hezbollah for military needs is expected to be targeted.” Adley also stated.
Oster's funeral will be held in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, with soldiers carrying his casket. (AP/Maya Areruzzo)
Israel's military operation inside Lebanon comes after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top officials were killed in an airstrike last week.
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An Israeli soldier raises his fist from a moving APC in northern Israel on Tuesday, October 1. (AP/Buzz Ratner)
The IDF says more than 150 Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers have been destroyed in Lebanon so far.
FOX News' Yael Rotem-Kriel contributed to this report.
