{"id":476784,"date":"2026-06-05T00:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T00:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/476784\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T00:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T00:56:18","slug":"soldier-killed-in-anti-tank-missile-attack-as-hezbollah-rejects-lebanon-ceasefire-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/476784\/","title":{"rendered":"Soldier killed in anti-tank missile attack as Hezbollah rejects Lebanon ceasefire proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"

An IDF officer was killed in a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile attack in southern Lebanon on Thursday, as the Iran-backed terror group rejected a ceasefire plan agreed to by the Lebanese and Israeli governments in US-mediated talks.<\/p>\n

The military named the slain officer as Cpt. Eitan Shmuel Lemberg, 21, of the 7th Armored Brigade\u2019s 75th Battalion, from Mishmar HaShiv\u2019a.<\/p>\n

At around 4 p.m., a Hezbollah operative fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli tank operating north of the Litani River, killing Lemberg.<\/p>\n

Immediately after the attack, the Israel Defense Forces said that it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the area from the air and with artillery.<\/p>\n

The deadly incident came a day after Jerusalem and Beirut agreed on a ceasefire contingent on Hezbollah halting attacks, and planned for the Lebanese army to deploy to \u201cpilot\u201d zones in southern Lebanon free from both Hezbollah operatives and IDF troops.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n

But the terror group\u2019s chief, Naim Qassem, rejected the deal as \u201csurrender.\u201d Qassem said that his group would keep bombarding northern Israel as long as strikes continue in Lebanon. Qassem also urged the Lebanese government to quit the \u201cfarce\u201d of direct talks with Israel.<\/p>\n

In a written statement read on Hezbollah\u2019s Al-Manar TV on Thursday, Qassem said the agreement\u2019s demand that Hezbollah fighters leave southern Lebanon under fire would mean \u201csurrender, defeat and achieving the enemy\u2019s goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tAn Israeli flag hangs on a destroyed building in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, on June 4, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ariel Schalit)<\/p>\n

As long as Lebanese villages are being bombed and people are being killed, northern Israel will not be safe, he said. Israel says it is striking terror operatives plotting attacks against troops and Israeli communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are concerned about is an end to the aggression, ceasefire and Israel\u2019s withdrawal,\u201d Qassem said. \u201cWe did not make any commitment to any party to stop resisting as long as there is occupation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Qassem\u2019s remarks, US President Donald Trump later in the day insisted Hezbollah did not reject the ceasefire proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t reject me,\u201d he said. \u201cThey called us, and they said, \u2018How about stopping.\u2019 And I think you\u2019re going to see things happen over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be really nice if Lebanon could have some peace,\u201d added Trump, addressing reporters from the Oval Office. \u201cI spoke to Bibi Netanyahu about that, and I speak to [Lebanon] about it and I actually spoke to Hezbollah about it. And I think progress is made.\u201d<\/p>\n

He spoke after fighting continued Thursday, with sirens sounding across northern Israel. Hezbollah launched two rockets at IDF troops in Lebanon, causing no injuries.<\/p>\n

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the northern town of Shlomi some 30 minutes before drone warning sirens sounded in the community, the Prime Minister\u2019s Office confirmed to The Times of Israel. The premier was unharmed and later left the area.<\/p>\n

In a meeting with northern leaders in Shlomi, Netanyahu said Israel was \u201ccommitted to northerners\u2019 security,\u201d promising to invest in their recovery, \u201cjust as we did in the south,\u201d according to the Ynet news site.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to act decisively against all threats,\u201d Netanyahu was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said Israel \u201cwill, for the time being, continue its fire and operations on the ground.\u201d Lebanese state media reported more than a dozen Israeli strikes on Thursday, and said five people were killed. The IDF did not immediately comment.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIsrael\u2019s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Oliver Contreras \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Aoun speaks of \u2018last chance\u2019 for truce<\/p>\n

Israel and Lebanon have formally been at war since the Jewish state\u2019s establishment in 1948.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Israeli and Lebanese envoys held a fourth round of talks in Washington, agreeing to create a number of \u201cpilot\u201d security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah terrorists would be banned. It was not immediately clear how the security zones would be established, but the agreement calls for the Lebanese army to take full control of those areas.<\/p>\n

Before that statement was issued, Iran said Hezbollah\u2019s baseline demand is for Israel to withdraw to positions it held prior to the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to comments attributed to Revolutionary Guards\u2019 Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani and published in state media.<\/p>\n

For its part, Beirut hailed the deal, with\u00a0Lebanese President Joseph Aoun saying Thursday that an agreement with Israel was the \u201clast chance\u201d to reach a comprehensive truce.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results of the fourth round of negotiations, and the statement issued from it, which included very important points in Lebanon\u2019s favor, represent the last chance to enter into a final, comprehensive ceasefire,\u201d he said, adding that \u201ceach party bears responsibility\u201d if it fails to respond positively.<\/p>\n

Aoun said Lebanon would inform the US of its position \u201cas soon as responses are received from the concerned internal parties, particularly Hezbollah,\u201d adding that the US would determine the ceasefire\u2019s start date and \u201cTrump will be the direct guarantor of its implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tThis photograph taken during a press tour organized by the Lebanese army shows Lebanese soldiers standing atop a military vehicle in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on November 28, 2025. (Anwar AMRO \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the European Union signed off on a new \u20ac100 million ($116 million) support package for the Lebanese army, which it seeks to bolster.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon offers a chance to prevent a return to full-scale hostilities,\u201d EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote online.<\/p>\n

Five said killed in eastern Lebanon<\/p>\n

The IDF said \u201cthe fighting in southern Lebanon is ongoing,\u201d with army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee warning residents that \u201cthe IDF continues to target Hezbollah facilities and infrastructure located in and near your villages.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned residents of southern Lebanon not to travel south of the Zahrani River \u201cuntil further notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone traveling south is putting their life at risk,\u201d Adraee added.<\/p>\n

Lebanon\u2019s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported some 20 strikes in Lebanon\u2019s south and east on Thursday, some causing casualties, including a couple and their daughter who were wounded in an attack on their car.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tA Lebanese army bulldozer advances along the main road in the southern border village of Debbine on June 4, 2026. (AFP)<\/p>\n

It also reported that five people were killed in an IDF strike in the eastern Lebanon town of Sohmor, outside of the warned evacuation zone. The strike in the Beqaa Valley town reportedly wounded several others.<\/p>\n

The IDF did not immediately issue statements on the targets of Thursday\u2019s strikes.<\/p>\n

The military said that on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a Hezbollah operative in an exchange of fire during ground operations north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the Hezbollah gunman was armed with an AK-47 rifle. Troops of the Givati Brigade\u2019s Reconnaissance Unit identified and then killed him in a close-quarters fight.<\/p>\n

PM reportedly balks at expanded ground op<\/p>\n

Netanyahu convened a security consultation late Wednesday night to discuss the situation in Lebanon, where he reportedly balked at plans for a large-scale ground maneuver in the country, citing US pressure against such moves.<\/p>\n

During the meeting, the IDF presented the premier and other ministers with a proposal for a large-scale operation in Lebanon, but Netanyahu expressed reservations, Army Radio reported. The report came after Trump intervened earlier this week to stop planned strikes on Beirut and castigated Netanyahu for looking to expand operations against Hezbollah, which the US feels could jeopardize its talks with Iran.<\/p>\n

Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir supported the proposal, the report said.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister\u2019s Office did not immediately comment on the Army Radio report or further clarify the ceasefire understandings.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIDF troops gather on the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, June 2, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ariel Schalit)<\/p>\n

Ben Gvir said a truce was a \u201cgrave mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state of Lebanon is a partner of Hezbollah,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are ministers in its government representing Hezbollah, and the families of Hezbollah members serve in the Lebanese army.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are moments when you must say \u2018no,\u2019 even to the president of the United States, and when we don\u2019t do that \u2014 we\u2019ll meet Hezbollah next time, when it\u2019s stronger and more dangerous,\u201d he warned, calling\u00a0for a full cabinet meeting and vote on the ceasefire.<\/p>\n

UN peacekeeper killed by mortar; IDF blames Hezbollah<\/p>\n

On the ground, a Serbian peacekeeper stationed with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed late Wednesday after mortars hit a UN base in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n

The UN did not issue blame for the strike, though the IDF said its launch trajectory proved it came from Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

UNIFIL said mortar shells struck one of its positions near Marjayoun, critically injuring one member of the observer force, who was flown to a hospital in Beirut, where he succumbed to his wounds Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo other peacekeepers, who also sustained injuries, are being treated at a medical facility in the UNIFIL base,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

UNIFIL said it launched an investigation \u201cto ascertain the exact circumstances that led to this tragic incident.\u201d The statement did not mention either Hezbollah or the IDF.<\/p>\n

Serbia\u2019s defense ministry said in a statement that \u201cSenior Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic was given emergency medical care at a hospital inside the base after being wounded and then transported by helicopter to the University Medical Centre in Beirut, where he died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2757\ufe0f Hezbollah launched mortar shells that hit a UNIFIL position and killed a UN personnel member in southern Lebanon<\/p>\n

Overnight, Hezbollah launched several mortar shells that landed inside a UNIFIL force position in the Dibbine area in southern Lebanon\u2014killing a UN personnel\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/vQ3YnnNWZZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Commenting on the incident, the IDF said it identified several mortar launches \u201cfrom the Qotrani area, carried out by the Hezbollah terror organization, which fell inside a UNIFIL outpost in the Dibbin area in southern Lebanon.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAn examination of the launch trajectory clearly indicates that the fire was carried out by the Hezbollah terror organization,\u201d the IDF said.<\/p>\n

In late March, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and another later died of his wounds after a projectile hit their base, with a preliminary UN investigation blaming an Israeli tank shell.<\/p>\n

Shortly after, two more Indonesian Blue Helmets were killed by an improvised explosive device, which the same UN investigation found was likely planted by Hezbollah. In April, two French peacekeepers were killed in an ambush that French authorities and the UN attributed to Hezbollah, which denied involvement.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tAn United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle armored vehicle patrols the southern Lebanese border area of Marjayoun on May 11, 2026. (AFP)<\/p>\n

On Monday, UN chief Antonio Guterres said peacekeepers would still be needed in Lebanon after UNIFIL\u2019s mission expires at the year\u2019s end \u2014 a suggestion likely to face opposition from the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n

IDF says Hezbollah drone nearly hit top officer<\/p>\n

Separately, the IDF revealed Thursday that an explosive-laden first-person view (FPV) drone launched by Hezbollah struck near IDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo as he was visiting southern Lebanon several weeks ago.<\/p>\n

The IDF said that \u201cno damage was caused and there were no casualties\u201d in the incident. However, reports indicated that the drone hit Milo\u2019s vehicle shortly after he exited his car.<\/p>\n

Since the incident, the IDF has changed its protocols for visits by senior officers to southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo is seen in southern Lebanon on April 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the US and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.<\/p>\n

Since then, 26 IDF soldiers and one Defense Ministry civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon, 14 of them since a ceasefire was introduced on April 16. 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 2,500 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group\u2019s elite Radwan Force, since early March.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t