The Israel Defense Forces cleared for publication on Friday morning that a 33-year-old reservist was killed in a Hezbollah drone strike on Thursday.
The fallen soldier was identified as Sgt. First Class (res.) Valeri Chefonov.
Hezbollah launched several drones from Lebanon on Thursday. Chefonov was critically injured when one struck near Kibbutz Kabri, in the Western Galilee. He died a short time afterwards.
The attack follows the death of Nir and Noa Baranes, who were killed when a rocket directly hit their car at a traffic junction in the Golan Heights on Tuesday.
Around 60,000 Israelis living in northern communities were forced to evacuate in October when the Hezbollah terror organization began daily rocket and drone attacks. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. Hezbollah attacks have killed 12 civilians and 17 soldiers.
Wildfires sparked by the barrages have burnt over 25,800 acres of land in northern Israel since the beginning of 2024, forcing firefighters to “fight fire under fire.”
Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
