Assessment: Building Where Two Soldiers Fell Was Booby-Trapped Before Ceasefire

The IDF assesses that the building in the village of Majdal Zun where two soldiers, Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, fell was booby-trapped before the ceasefire. Airstrikes planned in southern Lebanon were canceled due to American pressure, which claimed Hezbollah did not violate the agreement. The cabinet will convene tonight, and some ministers will demand a harsher response. Rome talks ended without agreement on the oversight body.

The IDF assesses that the building in the village of Majdal Zun, where Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin fell, was booby-trapped even before the ceasefire in Lebanon. This was reported this evening (Thursday) in the Kan News broadcast. The military continues to investigate the incident and the reason for the two soldiers' entry into the building before it was scanned. Last night, the IDF planned to carry out intense strikes in southern Lebanon, but these were canceled due to pressure from the United States. According to a security source, the Americans conveyed a message to Israel that there was no violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah and demanded to avoid further strikes to preserve the agreed situation and the talks taking place in parallel between Israel and Lebanon in Rome. The political-security cabinet will convene this evening, and ministers are expected to arrive at the discussion quite charged. Some cabinet ministers will demand a harsher response in Lebanon. The negotiations with Lebanon in Rome have ended. Lebanon wanted to expand the areas of Israeli withdrawal, but Israel opposed and conditioned the expansion of the pilot areas on progress in implementation on the ground, claiming it is too early to determine success. A source involved in the talks said that in the talks held this week, the parameters for the pilot were set, but it has not yet been decided who will be the body to carry out supervision and enforcement. At this time, no date has been set for resuming talks, but according to assessments, this will happen next month.