Hezbollah Still Fighting as Israeli Army Continues to Suffer Casualties in Southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon – The Israeli military said on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, that seven of its soldiers, including two officers, were injured in fighting in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had foiled an Israeli infiltration attempt in a series of operations totalling 24 military actions, as casualties from Israeli air strikes continued to rise. Citing Al Jazeera on Thursday, 21 May 2026, in its official statement the Israeli military explained that a female soldier sustained serious injuries, while a field officer and two other soldiers sustained moderate injuries. The injuries were caused by a suicide drone explosion in southern Lebanon. The same incident also wounded another field officer and two soldiers with minor injuries. On the preceding Wednesday, the Israeli army also reported that three soldiers were injured—including two officers, one of whom served as brigade commander—due to a suicide drone explosion in the same area. Recently, Hezbollah’s use of drones based on fibre-optic technology has raised major concerns in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even described this technology as a major threat because of its highly undetectable nature, urging the military to quickly find effective countermeasures. Last Tuesday, the Israeli military also confirmed the death of an officer in the fighting in southern Lebanon, making him the third officer to be killed within five days. According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, this incident raises the Israeli military death toll to nine soldiers since 2 March, with around 50 other soldiers injured.