A firefighting aircraft releases flame retardant to extinguish fires caused by rockets launched from southern Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

An Israeli army officer was killed in Hezbollah rocket fire on Thursday, the Israeli military said in a press statement.

The slain was identified as Itay Galea, 38, a deputy company commander in the 8679th Unit of the Israeli army's 679th Armored Brigade. He was killed when a rocket hit the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights during Hezbollah's massive retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Hezbollah launched about 200 rockets, missiles, and drones toward northern Israel in retaliation for Israel's recent targeted killing of its senior military leader Mohammad Naameh Nasser in southwestern Lebanon's Tyre city.

Galea, a reservist officer, fought in the Gaza Strip before being sent to northern Israel as part of Israel's preparation for a possible full-fledged war with Hezbollah.

His death marked the 18th fatality among Israeli troops from Hezbollah attacks since the beginning of the cross-border fighting between the Lebanese armed group and Israel in early October last year.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with the attack by its ally Hamas on Israel the day before. 

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