Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, March 26, condoled with the families of two young soldiers killed in southern Lebanon, even as the military signaled that its expanding ground operations there are taxing resources and will require additional combat forces.
In two separate statements, Netanyahu mourned Sgt. Aviad Elchanan Wolensky, an armored corps soldier, and Staff Sgt. Ori Greenberg, a fighter from the Golani Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit. Both men, aged 21, died in clashes with Hezbollah militants amid Israel’s push to secure its northern border.
“My wife and I, together with all the citizens of Israel, join in the deep grief of the family of Golani Reconnaissance Unit soldier, Sgt. Uri Greenberg z” l, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu wrote in one post.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of Uri Z”l, who fought with bravery and courage to defend our northern border. May his memory be a blessing.”
Hours later, he posted a similar message for Wolensky, a member of the 77th Battalion in the 7th Brigade from Jerusalem, praising his bravery against those trying to harm Israelis.
The deaths came on the same day as reports of direct firefights in southern Lebanon. Greenberg was killed early Thursday morning during what officials described as the first close-quarters clash of the current ground campaign.
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His unit encountered Hezbollah operatives around 2 a.m., exchanged fire, and suffered casualties before evacuating the wounded. Another soldier was lightly hurt in the incident. Wolensky fell later in separate combat in the same region.
These losses give a clear picture of the risks of Israel’s deepening involvement in Lebanon, a component of a broader campaign that began with targeted ground operations in mid-March.
The military has been working to establish what it calls a forward defensive zone, essentially a buffer area along the border to prevent rocket fire and infiltrations from reaching Israeli communities in the Galilee.
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin acknowledged the pressure in the latest briefings. “On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional forces,” he said as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Defrin noted that the army is operating across multiple theaters, including ongoing threats from Gaza, the West Bank, and Syria. “For that, more combat soldiers are needed in the Israeli army.”
The push into southern Lebanon has intensified in recent weeks, with troops advancing to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and clear areas used by the group’s Radwan special forces.
Israeli officials have described the effort as necessary to restore security for northern residents who have faced repeated rocket attacks and displacement.
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Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has continued launching strikes, keeping the border volatile even after earlier rounds of fighting.
Military leaders have signaled that the operation could be prolonged, with plans to expand control deeper into Lebanese territory south of the Litani River in some scenarios.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has spoken of accelerating efforts to eliminate threats, including using targeted demolitions of structures that could be used to carry out attacks.
The human cost is mounting amid Israel’s ground operation.
While Israeli officials say many of those killed in Lebanon have been Hezbollah fighters, Lebanese reports point to civilian casualties as well, with families fleeing villages amid airstrikes and ground advances.
The conflict has drawn wider attention as part of escalating regional tensions involving Iran.
Amid the IDF’s expanding invasion in southern Lebanon, sources are saying that reservists have already been mobilized in large numbers across the fronts, and expanding the buffer zone would require committing more forces for what could be an extended hold on captured positions.
