{"id":452100,"date":"2026-05-21T00:59:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T00:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/452100\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T00:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T00:59:16","slug":"10-soldiers-including-brigade-commander-hurt-in-separate-hezbollah-drone-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/452100\/","title":{"rendered":"10 soldiers, including brigade commander, hurt in separate Hezbollah drone attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ten IDF soldiers were wounded, including two seriously, in two separate explosive drone attacks launched by Hezbollah on troops operating in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as limited fighting with the Iran-backed terror group persisted despite a ceasefire.<\/p>\n

In one of the incidents, the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, Col. Meir Biderman, 41, was seriously wounded by an explosive drone, the IDF said.<\/p>\n

The military said that Col. (res.) H., who currently serves as the brigade\u2019s chief of staff, will temporarily fill his position.<\/p>\n

A reserve lieutenant colonel serving in the 162nd Division was moderately wounded in the same incident, while an additional reservist sustained light injuries, according to the IDF.<\/p>\n

In another Hezbollah drone blast, a female soldier was seriously wounded, a combat officer and two additional soldiers sustained moderate injuries, and two more were lightly wounded, the army said.<\/p>\n

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The Commander of the 401st Armoured Brigade, Col. Meir Biderman, was severely wounded, and another reserve officer was moderately injured from an explosive drone impact in southern Lebanon. Furthermore, during the incident, a non-commissioned officer was lightly injured. pic.twitter.com\/jiy7noJ1G1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Israel National News \u2013 Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) May 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

All of the wounded were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, and their families were notified.<\/p>\n

Also on Wednesday, the IDF published footage of a strike it carried out earlier in the week on a Hezbollah weapons production site in the Tyre area of southern Lebanon that had been established inside a building previously used as a civilian clinic and located meters away from a mosque.<\/p>\n

The IDF said secondary explosions were identified following the strike, indicating the presence of weapons inside the building.<\/p>\n

The military echoed accusations it made earlier on Wednesday, when the IDF announced a separate strike on a civilian building allegedly housing Hezbollah surveillance equipment in southern Lebanon, with the military again accusing the terror group of using civilian infrastructure in operations against Israel.<\/p>\n

\u05d1\u05de\u05e8\u05d7\u05e7 \u05de\u05d8\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5\u05d3\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05de\u05e1\u05d2\u05d3: \u05e6\u05d4\u05f4\u05dc \u05ea\u05e7\u05e3 \u05d0\u05ea\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d9\u05e6\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d7\u05d9\u05d6\u05d1\u05d0\u05dc\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05e7\u05dd \u05d1\u05de\u05d1\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05e9 \u05db\u05de\u05e8\u05e4\u05d0\u05d4<\/p>\n

\u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05e6\u05d4”\u05dc \u05ea\u05e7\u05e4\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc\u05e9\u05d5\u05dd, \u05d0\u05ea\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d9\u05e6\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d0\u05e8\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d6\u05d1\u05d0\u05dc\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d1\u05de\u05e8\u05d7\u05d1 \u05e6\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05df.<\/p>\n

\u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d5\u05e7\u05dd \u05d1\u05de\u05d1\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05e9 \u05db\u05de\u05e8\u05e4\u05d0\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d6\u05e8\u05d7\u05d9\u05ea, \u05d1\u05de\u05e8\u05d7\u05e7 \u05e9\u05dc \u05de\u05d8\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5\u05d3\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05de\u05e1\u05d2\u05d3. \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05d4\u05ea\u05e7\u05d9\u05e4\u05d4, \u05d6\u05d5\u05d4\u05d5\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/I73KLtWCPo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u05e6\u05d1\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d4\u05d2\u05e0\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc (@idfonline) May 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the military, the surveillance system, which it struck on Tuesday, was used by Hezbollah operatives to monitor and direct activity against troops in the area.\n<\/p>\n

In a separate incident, the unit also killed a Hezbollah operative who the IDF said was operating from a warehouse used to store weapons. The military said secondary explosions were also identified following that strike.<\/p>\n

\u05db\u05da \u05d0\u05e8\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d6\u05d1\u05d0\u05dc\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d5\u05e7\u05d1 \u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05de\u05de\u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05d6\u05e8\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd: \u05ea\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05d3 \u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05d9\u05e4\u05ea \u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9 \u05ea\u05e6\u05e4\u05d9\u05ea \u05e2\u05dc \u05d9\u05d3\u05d9 \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d9\u05d7\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 \u05d4\u05e8\u05d1-\u05de\u05d9\u05de\u05d3\u05d9\u05ea<\/p>\n

\u05d0\u05ea\u05de\u05d5\u05dc, \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d9\u05d7\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 \u05d4\u05e8\u05d1-\u05de\u05d9\u05de\u05d3\u05d9\u05ea \u05d6\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5 \u05d5\u05ea\u05e7\u05e4\u05d5 \u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9 \u05ea\u05e6\u05e4\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05dc \u05d0\u05e8\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d6\u05d1\u05d0\u05dc\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05df. <\/p>\n

\u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9 \u05d4\u05ea\u05e6\u05e4\u05d9\u05ea \u05de\u05d5\u05e7\u05dd \u05d1\u05ea\u05d5\u05da \u05de\u05d1\u05e0\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d6\u05e8\u05d7\u05d9 \u05d5\u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05e9 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d0\u05e8\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d6\u05d1\u05d0\u05dc\u05dc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05de\u05e2\u05e7\u05d1\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/QHHZoUvnE2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u05e6\u05d1\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d4\u05d2\u05e0\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc (@idfonline) May 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Later Wednesday, the Kan public broadcaster reported that the IDF is investigating a suspected looting incident involving a reserve battalion commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel, after troops allegedly took a generator from southern Lebanon and brought it back to Israel.<\/p>\n

Kan reported that information recently reached the officer\u2019s commanders alleging that the battalion commander, another officer and several soldiers loaded the generator onto their jeep while operating in Lebanon and drove it back into Israeli territory.<\/p>\n

According to the report, the incident came to light after soldiers informed their commanders, who then instructed the battalion commander to return the generator to the location from which it had been taken.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tA damaged mosque is seen next to the destroyed Hezbollah paramedic center, right, which was hit in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday in the village of Maashouk, southern Lebanon, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo\/Mohammed Zaatari)<\/p>\n

Responding to the report, the IDF said the incident was carried out \u201cwithout authorization and in violation of mandatory procedures,\u201d adding that the military \u201cviews any deviation from the orders and norms expected of its soldiers with great severity and acts accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The incident comes less than a month after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned senior commanders<\/a> that incidents of looting by troops \u201cstain the entire IDF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said<\/a> Monday the toll in the latest round of fighting had topped 3,000.<\/p>\n

Many Hezbollah fighters who have been killed in the war are not included in the health ministry death toll, sources familiar with Hezbollah\u2019s casualty numbers have said.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tDisplaced people who fled Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit outside shelter tents in Beirut, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein)<\/p>\n

Twenty IDF soldiers and one Defense Ministry civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon amid fighting against Hezbollah. Two civilians were also killed by Hezbollah rockets, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery shelling.<\/p>\n

In Lebanon, the Israeli military has said that it has killed over 2,000 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group\u2019s elite Radwan Force, since hostilities escalated amid the war with Iran.<\/p>\n

Last week, the US and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington wrapped up the third round of direct talks, after which the nominal ceasefire in Lebanon was extended for another 45 days.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSmoke rises over the southern Lebanese village of Deir Siriane following explosions carried out by the Israeli army on May 20, 2026. (Photo by AFP)<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump has publicly called for a meeting between Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Aoun has declined to meet or speak directly with Netanyahu at this stage \u2014 a move that would likely generate blowback in Lebanon, where talks with Israel were met with protests among the third of the population that is Shiite.<\/p>\n

In support of its patron, Iran, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war in early March by launching drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel. Israel has since invaded southern Lebanon and bombed thousands of sites around the country, saying it is targeting the terror group\u2019s efforts to rearm.<\/p>\n

More than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon by the fighting, with some sheltering in tents along roads and the sea in Beirut. Israel, meanwhile, has struggled to halt frequent Hezbollah drone attacks.<\/p>\n

The US-led mediation has emerged in parallel to diplomacy \u200baimed at ending the US-Iran conflict. Iran has \u2060said ending Israel\u2019s war in Lebanon is one of its demands for a deal over the wider conflict.<\/p>\n

Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n


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