An Israeli soldier was killed in an attack by Shiite militia Hezbollah on troops stationed in southern Lebanon, the military said late on Thursday.
The Hezbollah group had shortly beforehand rejected the terms of a US-backed ceasefire agreed between Lebanon and Israel.
Hezbollah operates independently of the Lebanese state and was not part of the agreement. The Lebanese government is not itself a party to the conflict and has limited control over the group. The deal, announced in Washington on Wednesday, aims to end hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group and includes steps toward Hezbollah's disarmament.
Following the Hezbollah attack, the Israeli military reportedly bombed the militia's infrastructure. During the night, Hezbollah announced another rocket attack on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. This could not be independently verified. The Israeli army initially made no statement on the matter.
Hezbollah rejects ceasefire conditions
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem had previously rejected the agreement between the Lebanese government and Israel, particularly provisions calling for the group to disarm.
In a statement read out on Lebanese television, Hezbollah said any interpretation of the ceasefire under which the group would halt its attacks while Israeli military operations continued would amount to a "surrender."
Qassem described the agreement as "a roadmap for the destruction of part of the Lebanese people and the subjugation of the rest."
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Hezbollah had spoken with his administration and had not rejected the ceasefire.
"They called us and they said, 'How about stopping?'" Trump told reporters at the White House, seemingly implying that he believed there would be progress toward ending the fighting. "It would be really nice if Lebanon could have some peace," Trump added.
