The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday (Oct 2), announced eight soldiers have been killed during Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah operatives in the south of the country.

These are the first fatalities of Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon, the IDF said.

1. Cpt. Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, a team commander in the Egoz Commando Unit, from Modi’in. 

2. Cpt. Harel Etinger, 23, a team commander in the Egoz Commando Unit, from Eli. 

3. Cpt. Itai Ariel Giat, 23, of the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit, from Shoham. 

4. Sgt. First Class Noam Barzilay, 22, of the Egoz Commando Unit, from Kohav Yair. 

5. Sgt. First Class Or Mantzur, 21, of the Egoz Commando Unit, from Beit Aryeh. 

6. Sgt. First Class Nazar Itkin, 21, of the Egoz Commando Unit, from Kiryat Ata. 

7. Staff Sgt. Almken Terefe, 21, of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Jerusalem. 

8. Staff Sgt. Ido Broyer, 21, , of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Nes Tziona. 

The six Egoz commandos were all reportedly killed during a gun battle with Hezbollah operatives in a southern Lebanon village. 

Meanwhile, another officer and four soldiers were severely injured in the same incident. 

During the extraction of the casualties following the fire exchange in a building, Iran-backed Hezbollah operatives fired mortars at the soldiers, wounding further troops.

Moreover, two soldiers of the Golani recon unit were also killed in a separate incident. 

Notably, Hezbollah said it destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks on Wednesday as they advanced toward a Lebanese border village. They added that the tanks were advancing toward the village of Maroun al-Ras near the border.