Israel Takes Out Hezbollah Commander as Conflict at Northern Border Grows

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Thursday that they had conducted a strike in Lebanon resulting in the death of a senior Hezbollah commander.

Ali Muhammad Aldbas, a top figure in the Radwan forces, was among those killed in the attack on a "Hezbollah military structure" in Nabatieh.

Israel eliminates Hezbollah senior commander as terror group warns it will pay 'the price' https://t.co/q7idGwXAZF

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IDF stated that Aldbas had been involved in directing terrorist activities, including an attack at the Megiddo Junction in Israel in March 2023. The Radwan Force, a unit within Hezbollah, specializes in carrying out attacks in northern Israel.

Hezbollah responded by vowing retaliation, stating that Israel would pay for the deaths of 10 individuals, including five children, in a separate airstrike in southern Lebanon the previous day.

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, asserted that the group would continue defending its people and holding Israel accountable for its actions.

According to reports from Reuters citing Hezbollah officials and security sources, several Hezbollah fighters were killed in strikes on Wednesday, including in Nabatieh.

These strikes were in response to a rocket barrage targeting northern Israeli communities earlier that day, which resulted in injuries, including one in serious condition.

Tensions have escalated between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel warning of the possibility of a full-scale war, adding to tensions as the nation already faces conflict with Hamas.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari reiterated Israel's readiness to respond to provocations but expressed a preference for avoiding outright conflict.

Hezbollah has been launching frequent attacks on Israeli targets near the border, particularly following clashes with Hamas in Gaza.

Both sides express a desire to avoid a larger conflict that could involve simultaneous engagement with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that killed over 1,200 Israelis.