Israel 'eliminates' another Hezbollah commander in fresh attack in south Lebanon

The Israeli forces said that it has 'eliminated' another senior official associated with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah during a targeted strike in Southern Lebanon on Friday.

Araeb el Shoga, a prominent figure within Hezbollah's Radwan Forces' Anti-tank Missile Unit, was killed during the airstrike in the Meiss El Jabal region of Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said.

El Shoga had reportedly orchestrated multiple anti-tank missile attacks targeting northern Israel. His elimination came as another blow to Hezbollah’s military capabilities in the area.

Additionally, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted strikes on terrorists operating in a building near Israel Defense Forces troops in Southern Lebanon.

"Following the strike, numerous secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large quantities of weapons in the area," the IDF said.

The fresh attacks came a day after Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut killed 22 people and injured 117 others, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The airstrikes were aimed at killing a senior Hezbollah official, Wafiq Safa, the head of the group's liaison and coordination unit.

Hezbollah's Al Manar TV, however, confirmed that Israel's assassination attempt failed, stating Safa was not inside the targeted buildings at the time of the strikes.

In a separate attack on Thursday, Israeli forces also fired on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and wounded two of them, drawing widespread condemnation.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, reported that its headquarters and several positions have been struck multiple times by Israeli forces.

According to the statement, an Israeli tank directly targeted an observation tower at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura, a town in southern Lebanon. Additionally, peacekeepers' sheltering bunkers near the area were attacked, causing damage to vehicles and communication systems.

Hezbollah initiated rocket fire into Israel on October 8, 2023, aligning with Hamas in support of the Palestinian cause. In response, Israel launched airstrikes against Hezbollah positions.

Iran, a known backer of both Hezbollah and Hamas, escalated the situation by firing approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of high-ranking Hamas and Hezbollah militants.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel’s response to the Iranian missile strike would be both 'lethal' and 'surprising', though he withheld specific details.