Two IDF reservists were killed and four others were seriously wounded after an explosive device detonated inside a booby-trapped house during a combat mission in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military announced Thursday.
Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, from Efrat, was a company commander in Battalion 2855 of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, while M.-Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, from Eilat, served as a combat soldier in the same battalion.
Birenstock was married and a father to four, including a six-month-old baby.
Rambam Medical Center said on Thursday morning that the conditions of the four injured reservists were serious.
Birenstock and Vaknin were killed during a search operation in Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon that had not previously been inspected by the IDF, after Hezbollah fighters pulled back from the town back in March.
The squad entered a booby-trapped house, where an explosive device detonated upon their entry, causing part of the building to collapse. Troops rushed to assist the reservists trapped beneath the rubble, and Birenstock and Vaknin were evacuated along with four other reservists who were wounded to varying degrees.
The IDF called the explosion a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire, and struck weapon storage sites and command centers in southern Lebanon, while also issuing evacuation warnings to the town of Mansouri. The Lebanese health ministry said on Wednesday one person was killed and 12 others were wounded in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Tibnin, about 25 kilometers from Mansouri.
The exchange took place as the latest round of talks between Israel and Lebanon continued in Rome, after the two countries agreed in June to a US-brokered security arrangement intended to ease hostilities along the border.
The last time an IDF soldier was killed in Lebanon was on June 28, a little over a month ago, when Capt. David Hazzut, 21, from Ashkelon, was killed in an encounter with a Hezbollah fighter.
Birenstock’s funeral is scheduled to begin at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem at noon. Vaknin’s is scheduled for Thursday evening at the military cemetery in Eilat.
Katz: ‘Birenstock, Vaknin were dedicated to reserve duty’
Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote, “On behalf of the entire defense establishment, I extend my deepest condolences to the families.”
He added: “Harel and Tamir left behind families and full lives, yet they dedicated themselves to reserve duty with commitment, devotion, and a profound sense of mission. They fell while working for the security of the State of Israel and its residents in the North.”
בשם מערכת הביטחון כולה, אני שולח תנחומים מעומק הלב למשפחותיהם של רס”ן (מיל’) הראל בירנשטוק, מפקד פלוגה בגדוד 2855, ושל רס”ם (מיל’) תמיר וקנין, לוחם בגדוד 2855, שנפלו בקרב בדרום לבנון.
הראל ותמיר הותירו מאחוריהם משפחות וחיים שלמים והתייצבו בכל פעם לשירות המילואים במחויבות,… pic.twitter.com/cGDCve5Q1F
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 6, 2026
He also expressed support for the families during this difficult time and wished a speedy recovery to the four wounded reservists.
The Eilat Municipality described Vaknin as “one of the finest sons of the city of Eilat.”
“Tamir, of blessed memory, was a hero of Israel, the salt of the earth, who fought bravely to defend the State of Israel. May his memory be a blessing,” the statement read.
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal also eulogized Birenstock.
“We mourn the loss of Harel, who grew up in Gush Etzion and made his home here. I send my condolences to his parents, wife, children, brother, sisters, and entire family,” he said.
Having served as a paratrooper himself, he extended his thoughts to the brigade, which had “suffered a heavy blow today.”
“Though I am here in the hills of Gush Etzion, my heart is with you in the mountains of Lebanon,” Rosenthal added.
Sarah Ben-Nun and Reuters contributed to this report.
