Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon: Militia retaliates with intense Israeli bombardment
Multiple rounds of Katyusha rockets were launched towards military installations in northern Israel by Hezbollah, as their response to the murder of Abdallah, who was also known as Abu Taleb, a weapons factory was targeted and destroyed.
As per the Israeli military, there were about 160 projectiles that were fired at Israeli soil in two separate instances in the early hours. According to initial reports, none were injured. The majority of the rockets were successfully intercepted by the military, while others reportedly landed on unpopulated areas.
The murder of Abdallah is the most severe assault on the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in southern Lebanon since the onset of skirmishes following the eruption of the Gaza War in October. The Israeli forces claim that Abdallah had been actively involved in plotting and carrying out operations against Israel for a long time.
Reports suggest that Abdallah was killed along with three others during a pre-dawn missile strike on Jouaijja village, about 15 kilometers north of the Lebanese-Israeli border. Abdallah, who was born in 1969, was described by Hezbollah as a martyr on his way to Jerusalem. The radical Shiite militia also cited another casualty, Mohammad Hussein Sabra, in the same Israeli attack.
Wissam Hassan Tawil, who was killed by an Israeli operation in January, was previously deemed the most senior Hezbollah official killed during this conflict. Tawil was implicated in the kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, which led to a three-week war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
"The Israeli adversary has failed to inflict a significant and painful blow to the Islamic resistance," read a report in the Hezbollah-backed Lebanese newspaper, "Al-Akhbar", on Wednesday, branding this as a "dangerous escalation".
Since the onslaught of battles between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, there have been daily exchanges of gunfire between Israel and Hezbollah combatants. The intensity of these confrontations has significantly increased in recent days.
The Israeli military condemned Hezbollah for firing approximately 50 rockets towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights prior to the killing of Abdallah. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country was prepared for a "vivacious operation" along the borders with Lebanon. "Somehow, we will re-establish order there," claimed Netanyahu.
The U.S. urged its allies to avert escalations, fearing this would endanger the security of Israel. Dr. Amal Saad, an expert on Hezbollah, suggested that Hezbollah's audacious attacks were part of a "measured escalation" that did not indicate their wish for war. The Hamas affiliate militia had previously pledged to cease hostilities if there was a truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
To the south of Lebanon, there have been around 468 fatalities since the beginning of the clashes on October 7, according to a tally by news agency AFP. Out of these, approximately 90 were civilians and 307 were Hezbollah militants. In Israeli casualties, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have died. Thousands more are forced to evacuate their residences along the border, though it is unclear their nation.
Read also:
- Hezbollah launched Katyusha rockets towards military installations in northern Israel, following the killing of their commander, Abdallah, in Lebanon.
- The Israeli military reported over 160 projectiles fired towards their soil in two separate incidents, with Hezbollah retaliating after Abdallah's death.
- Since the murder of Abdallah, who was accused of planning and executing operations against Israel, there have been escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Northern Israel.
- A Hezbollah commander and another individual, Mohammad Hussein Sabra, were reportedly killed in a pre-dawn missile strike near the Lebanese-Israeli border.
- The Israeli military condemned Hezbollah for firing rockets towards the Golan Heights before the murder of Abdallah, with Prime Minister Netanyahu preparing for a "vivacious operation" along the borders with Lebanon.
- The United States urged its allies to prevent further escalations, fearing the potential consequences for both Israel and the Gaza Strip, where daily exchanges between Hamas and Israeli forces continue.
