Israel said two of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday while Lebanese ​authorities said Israeli retaliatory attacks killed at least one person, a ‌flare-up in violence that coincided with the latest round of talks between the two countries. Despite the ceasefire, Israel ⁠declared a buffer zone in southern Lebanon where its troops continue to operate ​to eliminate what it says is the threat of the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, on ​its border. The Israeli military on Wednesday initially described the incident as “a blatant ceasefire violation” by Hezbollah, for which it launched a series of retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon. But on Thursday, in a statement mourning the death of the ​soldiers, Israeli Defence Minister ​Israel Katz did ⁠not mention Hezbollah or a ceasefire violation, suggesting Israel was not looking to escalate attacks. The Israeli military’s website shows the ​last date a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon was ​June 28.