Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon, Kills Senior Militant Despite Ceasefire
On Tuesday, Israel announced the elimination of a senior Hezbollah militant, Hassan Abbas Ezzedine, who was responsible for the group’s drone and missile operations.
This airstrike, carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in southern Lebanon, comes despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The strikes underscore Israel’s ongoing efforts to thwart the rearmament of the Iran-backed militant group and prevent Hezbollah from establishing a stronger presence along Israel’s northern border.
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed that Ezzedine, the head of Hezbollah’s aerial operations within the Bader regional unit, was killed in a targeted, intelligence-based strike near Nabatieh.
The military also reported a second attack on the same day, targeting multiple militants in the Froun area of southern Lebanon. Israel claimed that the site hit in Froun was being used by Hezbollah to coordinate operations.
Lebanese officials confirmed the casualties from these attacks. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, two people were killed in the strikes, including one fatality from an Israeli drone that targeted a vehicle on the Deir El-Zahrani road.
While these actions indicate Israel’s continued military operations against Hezbollah, they come amid an unexpected gesture of goodwill from Israel, which released several Lebanese prisoners.
This move was seen as an effort to strengthen diplomatic relations with Lebanon’s newly elected president, though it remains clear that Israel is intent on maintaining pressure on Hezbollah, whose activities in southern Lebanon have long been a point of contention.
Despite the ceasefire between the two sides, Israel remains committed to preventing Hezbollah from expanding its military capabilities, with airstrikes continuing in Lebanon as part of its broader strategy to curb the group’s influence in the region.
