New Revelations from the Investigation into the Fall of Brigade 55 Fighters in Lebanon

The IDF continues its investigation into the deaths of Maj. (res.) Harel Birnstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, reserve fighters of Battalion 2855 of Brigade 55, from an explosive device detonation in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon. Four other fighters were seriously wounded. The blast's intensity was unusual for a regular device, and the possibility of a dud bomb was ruled out. The IDF's assessment is strengthening that it was an old device, and Hezbollah may have tampered with it to harm forces.

The IDF continues its investigation into the deaths of two reserve fighters from Battalion 2855 of Brigade 55 in the Paratroopers, Maj. (res.) Harel Birnstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, who were killed in an explosive device detonation in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon, between the city of Tyre and the Israeli border. Four other fighters were seriously wounded in the blast. Walla has learned that the blast's intensity, as indicated by findings collected in the field, was unusual for a regular device. Accordingly, the incident was also examined by Air Force officials, who found that several months prior, a bomb was dropped on a structure within a range of more than one hundred meters from the building where the explosion occurred. However, a professional official determined that even if there had been a dud bomb in the area, the range of impact on the collapsed building is not plausible, so the possibility of a dud was ruled out. Several directions were examined in the investigation. The commander of the Galilee Formation, Brig. Gen. Yuval Gaz, conducted an in-depth investigation into the method of clearing the building of explosive devices. The initial investigation indicates that the force entered the building after it was scanned, left it, continued its missions, and when it passed by the building again, a powerful device was activated. The IDF's assessment is strengthening that it is an old explosive device. Meanwhile, Northern Command officials confirm that Hezbollah operates in the area and tries to challenge the IDF, so it is not unlikely that a Hezbollah force tampered with the explosive device in a way that would harm IDF forces. The investigation has not yet been concluded by the commander of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, in order to deepen the findings.