Israeli strike kills field commander in elite hezbollah unit sources

Israeli strike kills field commander in elite hezbollah unit sources

A high-ranking commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, Habib Maatouk, was killed in an Israeli strike on south Lebanon, according to two security sources on Thursday. Maatouk had recently taken over the position from another commander, Ali Ahmed Hassin, who was also killed in an Israeli strike in April.

The strike that killed Maatouk was one of several on the neighbouring border villages of Safad El Battikh and Jmaijmeh.

Eighteen wounded individuals were taken to the nearby Tebnine government hospital, as reported by its director, Mohammed Hamadi, to Reuters.

However, it was not immediately clear how many of the wounded were fighters and how many were civilians.

In a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that the group would expand the range of its attacks in Israel if more civilians were targeted.

Earlier on Thursday, Hamas reported that one of their commanders had been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon's West Bekaa, while a Hezbollah member was killed in a separate Israeli strike in the southern town of Jbal El Botm. Throughout the day, Hezbollah announced attacks on Israel with dozens of rockets and missiles, including on the Filon base in Israel's Safed for the first time.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began when Hezbollah declared a ‘support front’ with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on October 7, prompting Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 civilians and over 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and has caused significant destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages, comparable to the levels seen during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

International observers have expressed growing concerns in recent weeks that Israel may expand its military operations in Lebanon, potentially leading to a wider war. While Israel has stated that it is making the necessary preparations for a broader operation, no decision has been made yet. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has declared that it does not desire war with Israel but is prepared for it if necessary.