Israel Says Reserve Captain Itamar Saber Killed In Clash With Hezbollah South Of Lebanon

Israel announced the death of Reserve Captain Itamar Saber, 27, during an armed clash with Hezbollah south of Lebanon, saying the officer was deputy commander of a company in Battalion 7008 and was killed in an exchange of fire in southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah announces that it repelled an Israeli incursion and engaged in clashes with an Israeli force that left casualties as part of 24 operations against gatherings of armor and soldiers in southern Lebanon, using rocket salvos, artillery shells, and dive bombing drones”

Anadolu Ajansi

i24NEWS said the Israeli army continues to investigate the circumstances of the clash south of Lebanon amid rising tension on the northern border, and that it carried out airstrikes after the incident in an attempt to target attackers.

Anadolu Ajansi

The Israeli army said initial data indicated a Hezbollah militant emerged from a building inside one of the border villages and opened fire on Israeli forces, prompting a direct exchange of fire in the area.

In parallel, Hezbollah said it engaged an Israeli force escorted by armored vehicles advancing from the Cultural Complex area in Rashaf toward the town of Hadatha, detonating an explosive device against a Namer armored vehicle and continuing the engagement with rifle fire.

The BBC reported that Hezbollah announced: "Islamic Resistance fighters clashed at 22:15 on Tuesday, 19-05-2026, with a force from the Israeli army that tried to advance toward the Hadatha town square" while the Israeli army announced the death of Captain Itamar Saper, 27, in combat in south Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s account, as carried by the الشرق الأوسط, said fighters set an ambush after spotting a mixed force of a Namer armored vehicle and a D9 bulldozer advancing from the Cultural Complex area in Rashaf toward Hadatha, laying in wait at the Stone Factory on the road connecting the two towns.

In that statement, Hezbollah said it detonated an explosive device against the Namer vehicle and continued the engagement with the rest of the hostile force with rifle fire, while enemy air forces intervened to secure the withdrawal of the destroyed vehicle.

Andbendnt Al-Arabiyya

L'Orient Today reported that Hezbollah said it fought Israeli soldiers attempting to advance toward Haddatha square at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday with medium weapons and rockets, claiming it destroyed a Merkava tank and that fighter jets and drones tried to intervene to rescue the soldiers.

The BBC also framed the fighting as continuing despite the ceasefire, quoting Hezbollah’s statement and noting that the Lebanese Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon had risen to 21.

The BBC added that the Lebanese Health Ministry and local media reported an attack targeting a house in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre District, where the National News Agency said 12 victims including three children and three women were killed.

The BBC said the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon had risen to 21, reporting that the National News Agency said 12 victims including three children and three women were killed in a single attack targeting a house in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre District.

The BBC further reported that nine more people were killed and 29 injured in Israeli airstrikes on the Nabatieh and Tyre regions, while the Israeli army did not comment on the strikes but has previously said it targets Hezbollah.

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Hezbollah said its operations were part of 24 operations against gatherings of armor and soldiers in southern Lebanon, using rocket salvos, artillery shells, and dive bombing drones, and that it repelled an Israeli attempt to breach the border.

Anadolu Ajansı also stated that Israel has been waging a broad offense against Lebanon since March 2, 2026, which has killed 3,073 people and injured 9,362, and displaced more than a million people, according to official figures.

In the same reporting stream, L'Orient Today said at least 18 people had been killed by Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon since Wednesday morning, and it described Wednesday’s deadliest attacks including Israeli warplanes striking Habboush and Doueir in the Nabatieh district and a strike on Doueir that killed five people.