Israeli soldier injured in southern Lebanon clashes, army says

An Israeli reserve soldier was severely injured during clashes in southern Lebanon, the army said on Friday.

In a statement, the military said the incident occurred on Thursday during “a close-quarters encounter” in southern Lebanon, without providing further details.

Last week, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored framework agreement aimed at facilitating a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and reducing hostilities along the border.

However, Israel has decided to postpone its withdrawal from two pilot areas in southern Lebanon, citing an alleged need to “wait until a joint monitoring mechanism is established with Beirut.”

Since March 2, Israel has been conducting a military offensive in Lebanon that has killed at least 4,298 people, injured 12,196 others, and displaced over 1 million people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.