Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon combat, army says

The Israeli army said Thursday that one soldier was killed and three others were slightly wounded in south Lebanon.

The army identified the soldier killed as Captain Eliav Haim Tzapalamus, 21, from Haifa, and said he was a combat officer in the 603rd Battalion, 7th Brigade. It said he “fell in combat in southern Lebanon”.

Tzapalamus is the 17th Israeli soldier killed since a ceasefire was reached in June between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel's military has occupied a band of territory in south Lebanon since invading in March in response to Hezbollah attacks. Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a framework deal involving the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region.

Visiting EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told AFP in Beirut on Thursday that the bloc favoured avoiding a security vacuum and extending a UN peacekeeping mandate in south Lebanon. She also said the EU would soon launch a training mission for the under-resourced Lebanese army.

Lebanese official figures say Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people since March.