Washington seeks to preserve ceasefire talks as IDF investigates fatal operation in southern Lebanon
JERUSALEM: The United States reportedly intervened to prevent a broader Israeli military response following a deadly explosion in southern Lebanon that killed two Israeli reservists, according to a report published by Lebanese outlet Nidaa Al-Watan on Thursday.
Citing Lebanese political and official sources, the report claimed Washington acted swiftly to prevent tensions from escalating with Hezbollah, fearing a wider confrontation could jeopardize ongoing ceasefire negotiations taking place in Rome.
According to the report, Israeli officials considered launching a larger military operation after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Majdal Zoun. However, the proposed response was reportedly halted following what the publication described as decisive US intervention. The report further claimed the move helped preserve the third day of negotiations aimed at maintaining regional stability.
Investigation focuses on deadly explosion
The explosion killed IDF Major (res.) Harel Birenstock and Master Sergeant (res.) Tamir Vaknin, while four other soldiers sustained serious injuries. Israeli military officials said the troops entered a building that was allegedly rigged with explosives, triggering a blast that caused part of the structure to collapse.
The area was reportedly outside the designated pilot zones established under the trilateral framework involving Israel, the United States and Lebanon. Israeli defense officials have launched an investigation to determine why troops entered the structure and whether all required clearance procedures, including the use of drones, robots, canine units or controlled explosives, were properly followed.
Military reviews tactics amid Hezbollah concerns
According to Israeli media reports, Defense Minister Israel Katz questioned the operational decisions surrounding the incident and instructed military commanders to reinforce directives emphasizing the destruction of suspected militant infrastructure without unnecessarily entering potentially booby-trapped buildings.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military expressed concern that Hezbollah could increase the use of explosive traps in villages under Israeli operational control to disrupt diplomatic efforts. The IDF also announced that it had uncovered and dismantled thousands of Hezbollah sites, including command centers, weapons depots, launch positions and underground facilities during recent operations.
Additionally, Israeli forces carried out strikes near Mansouri in southern Lebanon, targeting what the military described as Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and command centers in response to the deadly attack that claimed the lives of the two reservists.
