Israeli soldier killed in first face-to-face battle with Hezbollah as terror group attacks Israel & IDF over 600 times in 24 hours

Israeli soldier Ori Greenberg was killed in the first face-to-face battle between IDF troops and Hezbollah terrorists, as the IDF deployed additional troops that are pushing deeper into southern Lebanon.

The terror group has ratcheted up its attacks on Israel and IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon, reaching a record of over 600 individual rockets, mortars, and drones in the last 24 hours, around double its prior record of around 300 attacks during the 2023-2024 conflict, IDF sources told the Jerusalem Post.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday morning that the country shares “in the deep sorrow of the family of Golani Brigade Reconnaissance Unit fighter Staff Sergeant Ori Greenberg, of blessed memory, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon” and “fought with heroism and courage to defend our northern border.”

Greenberg is the third soldier to fall during the new ground offensive against Hezbollah. The military also said that an officer was moderately wounded by shrapnel as a result of friendly fire overnight, and15 soldiers were taken to a hospital with suspected hypothermia in a separate incident. The troops are scanning the southern Lebanese hills for terror infrastructure amid unseasonably cold and stormy weather.

According to i24 News, the firefight in which Greenberg was killed began early on Thursday night, when the Golani Reconnaissance Unit moved between positions near the Galilee panhandle area.

An IDF soldier was killed during an exchange of fire with Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon overnight, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Staff Sgt. Ori Greenberg, 21, of the Golani Brigade's Reconnaissance Unit, from Petah Tikva.

He is the third IDF… pic.twitter.com/hLVma02E63

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 26, 2026

The force came under close-range fire, and a firefight started with at least five terrorists and it continued into the early morning hours of Thursday.

Several terrorists were eliminated by the ground troops and air support. Greenberg was evacuated in critical condition, and his death was determined on the way to the hospital.

This was the first face-to-face battle of the current operation. Until now, the IDF has eliminated dozens of militants through air strikes and artillery guided by ground troops, without direct enemy contact except for the capture of two terrorists.

The IDF publishes footage showing the demolition of a Hezbollah command center and a weapons depot in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/LHf1KZ4fWc

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 26, 2026

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the IDF was moving two additional divisions into southern Lebanon, expanding and deepening the operations there and bringing the troop number close to the level of the full-scale invasion in 2024.

However, IDF troops at that time only captured and cleared the first line of villages and ridges on the Lebanese side, while they are expected to advance farther this time.

The 91st and 36th divisions are already in action while the 162nd and 98th divisions are set to join them in the coming days. In addition, the 146th Division is also in northern Israel and could be ordered to join, as well.

Earlier this week, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would maintain control of a “security zone” up to the Litani River until the threat of Hezbollah is removed. “The IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon with full force against Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will not [be allowed to] return south of the Litani River until security for the residents of the north [of Israel] is ensured,” he said.

📍SOUTHERN LEBANON: IDF troops continue targeted ground operations to enhance the forward defense area

Operational accomplishments:
• 350+ Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites targeted & 330+ terrorists eliminated
• Weapons and military equipment located, including night… pic.twitter.com/08KmyvAr9g

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 26, 2026

The IDF said Thursday that troops of the 91st Division have “dismantled over 350 Hezbollah terror infrastructure targets and eliminated over 330 terrorists, including dozens of operatives from the Radwan Force unit,” so far.

“In addition, numerous weapons and military equipment were located in the area, including night vision devices, military vests, missile launchers, RPG rockets, magazines, Kalashnikov rifles, and a machine gun.”

🚨BREAKING: Red alert sirens sound in central Israel as Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to fire rockets at Israel. pic.twitter.com/sSVW2bstTT

— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) March 25, 2026

Overnight, the IDF also said it shot down several missiles fired by Hezbollah at central Israel shortly after 1 a.m., triggering alerts across the Tel Aviv area.

The terror group claimed to have targeted the IDF's Kiriya headquarters and another base in central Israel. It has also kept up a non-stop drip of isolated rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel.

On Wednesday, in a video conference, Netanyahu had commended local authority heads along the border for their “steadfastness”.

‼️Hezbollah has launched ~120 rockets from within the city of Tyre, Lebanon

Hezbollah has deliberately embedded itself and its terrorist infrastructure near Lebanese civilian populations, using them as human shields and endangering the lives of residents. pic.twitter.com/MCU7hrf8Ht

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 25, 2026

“I fully understand that the mission placed upon you is heavy, heavier than that of your colleagues in other parts of the country. This is due to the short distances and brief warning times from Lebanon, which add an obvious and very difficult layer of hardship that must be dealt with.”

He vowed, “We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in Lebanon.”

“We have created a real security buffer that prevents a ground invasion into the Galilee, across the northern border. We are expanding this security buffer to push the anti-tank missile threat away from our communities. We are simply creating a larger buffer zone. The issue of dismantling Hezbollah is now before us.”