At least one Hezbollah terrorist was killed in an apparent Israeli drone strike in Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon on Thursday afternoon, Sky News Arabia reported.
The target of the strike was identified by Sky News as Abbas al-Dabs, also known as Hajj Abdullah, a senior Hezbollah “military” commander from Nabatieh.
According to a 2022 report by Israeli analysts, al-Dabs helped build Iran’s aerial capabilities in Syria, working alongside officers of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
While the Jewish state fights Hamas terrorists to the south, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been testing the waters in recent months, initiating a series of fire exchanges. Since Oct. 7, four Israeli civilians and nine soldiers have been killed in attacks on the northern border.
Earlier on Thursday, three Israeli soldiers were wounded in Kiryat Shmona by an anti-tank missile Hezbollah fired from Lebanon.
One of the soldiers sustained serious injuries while the other two were lightly hurt, according to the Israel Defense Forces. All three were evacuated to the hospital and their families were notified.
In response, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the Al-Khyam area in Southern Lebanon, from where the attack was launched.
Lebanese terrorists also fired several projectiles at the Biranit military base and Mount Hermon regions in northern Israel.
Also on Thursday, an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon hit a house in the border town of Metula in the Eastern Galilee. There were no reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, Kan News aired pictures of Israeli Air Force jets carrying out sorties above government buildings in central Beirut. The public broadcaster noted that the IAF aerial activity took place as Gen. Hassan Awde was appointed chief of staff of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a Hezbollah ally, decided to appoint Awde “given the nation’s current security conditions,” local media reported.
On Tuesday, two Israeli soldiers were lightly injured by a Hezbollah rocket attack on a military post in the area of Moshav Margaliot, near the border with Lebanon.
The Iran-backed terrorist organization claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the launch of two heavy “Burkan” rockets, which can carry an explosive payload of more than 1,000 pounds.
Hezbollah has been initiating a series of fire exchanges with Israel since Oct. 7 as the Jewish state fights Hamas terrorists to the south.
The Shi’ite terror group fired more than 2,000 rockets at Israel between Oct. 8 and Jan. 9, in addition to dozens of anti-tank missiles.
The attacks have killed five Israeli civilians and nine soldiers.
The IDF has struck more than 3,400 Hezbollah targets since Tehran’s terror proxy joined the war in support of Hamas. The IDF destroyed some 120 observation posts, 40 weapons depots, and 40 command and control centers. Hezbollah has lost more than 130 fighters.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met on Sunday night in Tel Aviv with senior White House envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been mediating a potential agreement to stave off full-blown war.
Gallant emphasized Jerusalem’s commitment to improving the security situation in the area by removing the threats of infiltration and rocket fire from Lebanon. “We are committed to our citizens. We are ready to resolve this crisis via diplomatic understandings; however, we are also prepared for any other scenario,” said Gallant.
He expressed his appreciation for Hochstein’s efforts to address the security issues in the northern arena and mindfulness of the 80,000 Israelis who remain displaced from the region due to the conflict.