Two senior Hezbollah terrorists, as well as a lower-ranking member, were killed in an overnight Israeli Air Force strike in Southern Lebanon, the military confirmed on Thursday.
“Overnight, a major commander of the Radwan force, Ali Muhammad al-Dabs, was eliminated, along with his deputy Hassan Ibrahim Issa and another operative,” the IDF announced on X.
The three Hezbollah terrorists were killed when IAF fighter jets attacked a terrorist structure in the city of Nabatieh.
Al-Dabs “orchestrated, planned and executed numerous terrorist operations against the State of Israel, particularly during the war [started by Hamas on Oct. 7],” the army said. Among other attacks, he masterminded one at the Megiddo Junction on March 13, 2023.
That roadside bombing, carried out by a Hezbollah operative who infiltrated the Jewish state from Lebanon, severely wounded Shareef ad-Din, 21, from the Israeli Arab town of Salem. The perpetrator was killed by security forces while attempting to return to the Land of the Cedars.
Hezbollah named the third terrorist killed in the overnight airstrikes as Hussein Ahmad Aqeel, saying the trio died “on the road to” Jerusalem.
This has brought the number of terrorist deaths acknowledged by Hezbollah since the start of the war on Oct. 7 to 199, although the actual figure is believed to be higher.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has been conducting daily cross-border attacks in support of Hamas since the day after the war began on Oct. 7, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
Attacks from Lebanon have killed six civilians and 10 IDF soldiers since the start of the war.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah fired rockets at Safed, killing one soldier and wounding eight others. The slain soldier was identified as IDF Staff Sgt. Omer Sarah Benjo, 20, from Moshav Ge’a, near Ashkelon.
Israeli Air Force jets continued to strike Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon throughout the day on Thursday.
The Israeli military has stepped up its attacks against Hezbollah by “one level out of 10” in response to the deadly rocket attack, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday, warning that jets above Lebanon have been armed with “heavier bombs for more distant targets.
“We do not want to enter into a war, but rather are interested in reaching an agreement that will allow the safe return of residents of the north to their homes,” he added, in reference to the 80,000 Israelis displaced from their homes up to 6 miles from the border with Lebanon.
“But if there is no choice, we will act to bring [them] back and create the appropriate security for them. This should be clear to both our enemies and our friends,” warned the defense minister.
