Israeli Airstrike in Lebanon Kills Hezbollah Member and Injures Civilians
An Israeli airstrike targeted two vehicles near a Lebanese army checkpoint in south Lebanon on Sunday, resulting in the death of a Hezbollah member and several injuries, including civilians. This incident marks a shift in Israeli strategy towards targeted killings in Lebanon after months of clashes with Hezbollah militants on the border amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its members, Fadel Shaar, in the town of Kafra. Local civil defense and hospital officials reported that seven people were wounded, including two women, one of whom is in critical condition. Disturbing video footage from the scene showed a passenger sedan engulfed in flames next to a small truck stopped in the middle of the road.
The Israeli military has not commented on the airstrike. However, it is evident that Israel has adopted a new approach of targeting individuals associated with Hezbollah and allied groups. Previously, clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces were limited to a narrow strip near the border. However, recent strikes have occurred in areas relatively far from the border, as seen in Sunday’s incident.
Just a day before, another strike near the Lebanese port city of Tyre claimed the lives of two individuals in a car, including a Hezbollah commander, and two people in a nearby orchard. The commander, Ali Hudruj, was buried on Sunday in south Lebanon. The other occupant of the car, tech sector businessman Mohammad Baqir Diab, was identified as a civilian and was buried in Beirut.
This airstrike follows a similar incident on January 2 when a presumed Israeli airstrike killed a top Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, in a suburb of Beirut. This marked the first such strike in Lebanon’s capital since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hussein Jeshi, speaking at Hudruj’s funeral, accused Israel of resorting to assassinations as a means to compensate for its inability to achieve a military victory against Hamas after over 100 days of war in Gaza.
In response to the Israeli strike in Kafra and other attacks on Lebanese villages and civilians, Hezbollah launched an attack on the town of Avivim in northern Israel. However, the group later retracted its statement regarding a civilian death after it was confirmed that the woman was still alive.
Israel has not commented on the strike in Kafra but announced that it had targeted Hezbollah locations in several areas in Lebanon. It later reported that an anti-tank missile hit a house in Avivim, causing no injuries.
With the risk of a regional conflict escalating on multiple fronts, officials from the United States and Europe have been engaged in shuttle diplomacy between Israel and Lebanon. Their aim is to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a full-scale war on the Lebanese front.
The recent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, resulting in the death of a Hezbollah member and civilian injuries, highlights the escalating tensions in the region. As both sides continue to engage in targeted killings and retaliatory attacks, the risk of a larger conflict looms. International efforts to de-escalate the situation are crucial in order to prevent further loss of life and the potential for a full-scale war.