At least 48 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive in southern Lebanon [Getty]
The commander of an Israeli brigade has handed in his letter of resignation following an incident that saw the death of an archaeologist in Lebanon, according to local media.
Yoav Yarom, a reservist colonel and chief of staff in the Golani Brigade, asked to resign from his post on Monday over the death of 71-year-old Zeev Elrich, who joined the Israeli invasion, according to The Times of Israel.
Yarom took responsibility for the incident in a letter he wrote to the Golani Brigade’s commander, although an ongoing investigation is yet to conclude.
He had allowed Elrich into south Lebanon to examine an ancient fortress, believing the area to be clear of threats, however, two Hezbollah operatives were lying in wait and opened fire, killing the Israeli archaeologist as well as Israeli Sergeant Gur Kehati.
Yarom himself was wounded in the incident alongside a company commander in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion
Elrich entered south Lebanon in military uniform, although he was neither an active-duty soldier nor a reservist.
The office for the Israeli military’s spokesperson has said that Yarom did not have the authority to approve the entry of Erlich into Lebanon and that proper processes were not followed, although Erlich’s family say he did have proper approval.
Israel dramatically escalated its attacks on Lebanon on 23Â September this year, turning a low-level conflict with Hezbollah into a full-scale war. At least 3,768 people in Lebanon have been killed since then, while around 1.3 million have been forced to flee their homes.
The Israeli military has launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon but is encountering stiff resistance from Hezbollah fighters, with at least 48 Israeli soldiers killed.
On Tuesday the Israeli military said that the 91st Division had reached the Litani River and the Wadi Saluki area for the first time since the Israeli withdrawal of Lebanon in 2000.
