An Israel Defense Forces investigation into the deaths of two reservists during a combat mission in southern Lebanon is expanding after officials found the blast force was unusually strong compared to a standard explosive device, according to reporting by Walla on Saturday. Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, a company commander, and M.-Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin of Battalion 2855 belonging to the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade were killed during the incident in the village of Majdal Zoun. Four other soldiers sustained severe wounds in the explosion.
Investigation Into Majdal Zoun Incident Focuses on Blast Force
Air Force officials examined the incident and discovered that a bomb was dropped several months earlier on a structure situated more than a hundred meters away from the building that eventually collapsed. However, a professional authority determined that hitting the collapsed building was unlikely even if unexploded ordnance remained in the area. Consequently, officials initially ruled out the possibility of unexploded ordnance. Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gaz, commander of the Galilee Division, led an in-depth investigation into the methods used to clear the building of explosive devices.
Military Assessment Examines Old Ordnance and Hezbollah Activity
The preliminary investigation indicates that the military force entered the building after scanning it, left to continue their mission, and triggered a powerful explosive device upon passing the structure a second time. According to the prevailing assessment within the IDF, the blast stemmed from an old explosive device. At the same time, Northern Command confirms that Hezbollah maintains active operations in the sector and tries to challenge Israeli forces. Because of this activity, authorities cannot rule out the possibility that a Hezbollah force tampered with the device to target troops operating in the area.
Next Steps and Final Review by Northern Command
Gen. Rafi Milo. As a possible next step, military officials are likely to continue gathering and evaluating additional field findings from various entities before concluding the probe.
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