An officer and a soldier were killed and several others were wounded in Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel on Thursday, the military said.
The fallen were named as Maj. (res.) Nael Fwarsy, 43, a logistics company commander in the 300th “Baram” Regional Brigade’s 299th Battalion, from Maghar, and Sgt. Tomer Keren, 20, of the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, from Haifa.
Fwarsy was killed and another soldier was lightly wounded after an explosive-laden drone launched by Hezbollah struck an area outside Ya’ara in the Western Galilee.
He is survived by his wife of two years and his five-month-old baby. His brother said Nael was always first to volunteer for service and was keen to serve after the October 7 massacre. He was wounded earlier in the year but returned to combat.
"My mother was always worried that the worse would happen," his brother said. "She is struggling to come to terms with it now, as are we."
Keren was killed and eight other soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, after two anti-tank missiles launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck a position in the Ramim Ridge area on the border in the Galilee Panhandle.
Keren, a recent high school graduate from Haifa, was remembered for his joyful spirit and active involvement in the local scouts. His principal described him as popular and full of life, saying, "Tomer seized every experience. When the war broke out, he was eager to help."
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Keren enlisted in the IDF last November and completed his training with the Golani Brigade. "The entire school mourns his loss," she added.
Following the attacks, the IDF launched retaliatory strikes on southern Lebanon. "Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone, using civilian homes for weapon storage and tunnels, and employing civilians as human shields," the army said. "We are working to secure northern Israel and achieve the objectives of this war, ensuring residents can safely return to their homes."