Four IDF soldiers were killed and 58 others were wounded—eight of them seriously—when a Hezbollah drone detonated at the Golani Brigade’s training base near Binyamina on Sunday evening. The location is approximately 65 km (40 miles) from the border.

Magen David Adom emergency services reported that at least 11 individuals were in serious to moderate condition, while the remainder sustained minor injuries. The injured were transported to various hospitals across central Israel via helicopters and ambulances.

The deceased soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Omri Tamari, 19, from Mazkeret Batya; Sgt. Yosef Hieb, 19, from Tuba Zangariya; Sgt. Yoav Agmon, 19, from Binyamina; and Sgt. Alon Amitay, 19, from Ramot Naftali. The IDF confirmed that the attack took place in the dining hall of the training base, where young soldiers were having their evening meal during basic training.

No air raid sirens were activated prior to the strike. Israeli public broadcaster Kan News reported that the drone was part of a larger wave launched from Lebanon. While several drones were intercepted near Acre, at least one managed to evade Israel’s defense systems and reach Binyamina. Reports indicate that the drone flew at a very low altitude, complicating detection and interception efforts.

Witness accounts, which remain unconfirmed, suggested that the drone may have fired a missile before exploding, contributing to the high casualty count. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the drone swarm, asserting it targeted an army base near Binyamina.

This incident marks one of the most significant mass-casualty events attributed to Hezbollah drones during the ongoing conflict and occurred amidst a series of similar attacks on the same evening. Shortly after the incident, the IDF reported that another drone was shot down off the northern coast.

Drone infiltration alarms were triggered in towns along Israel’s northern Mediterranean coast, from Nahariya near the Lebanese border to Acre on Haifa Bay, less than an hour before the attack.

Kan News indicated that Israeli political leaders instructed the IDF to suspend strikes on targets in Beirut, as U.S. officials advocate for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. The last airstrike in Beirut took place on Thursday afternoon.