The Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon yesterday, claiming to have killed several top commanders from Hezbollah’s special Unit 4400. Among those killed was Hussein Ali Nasr, the deputy commander of the unit, who was struck in the village of Kawthariyat al-Siyad in the Zahrani district.
Israel’s military stated that Nasr had been involved in smuggling weapons and funds into Lebanon to bolster Hezbollah’s military capabilities. The statement further accused him of collaborating with Iranian operatives to facilitate these transfers, including through the Beirut airport—allegations that Hezbollah and Iran have consistently denied. Nasr was also reported to have been instrumental in securing arms deals with smugglers along the Syria-Lebanon border.
Alongside Nasr, two other commanders from Unit 4400 were also killed. Muhammad Jaafar Qasir and his deputy, Ali Hassan Gharib, were reportedly killed in separate strikes. Additionally, Bashir Ayoub, another Hezbollah member, was killed while riding his motorbike in the border village of Houla.
Hezbollah confirmed the deaths in a customary announcement, calling for public participation in the funerals of the fallen fighters. The group has yet to officially respond to Israel’s allegations regarding their activities.
Further Israeli airstrikes hit the region of Arnoun, near Yohmor a-Shqif, just a few kilometers from the Israeli border. Israeli authorities claimed the strikes targeted Hezbollah rocket launchers and other military infrastructure.
In a separate incident, a blast in the southern village of Braiqah killed a Lebanese army officer, Lt. Mahmoud Ahmed Zeitoun, and two soldiers, Ali Ibrahim Ahmad and Jawdat Salim Noura. The explosion occurred when munitions being transported in their vehicle from last year’s war detonated. A mother and her son, who were passing by, also died in the blast. The Lebanese army is investigating the incident.
Despite the US-brokered ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, which ended over a year of cross-border hostilities and a two-month war, Israeli attacks on parts of Lebanon continue. Israel insists on neutralizing Hezbollah’s rebuilding efforts, which it claims involve assassinating key commanders, as well as destroying weapons and infrastructure. Several civilians have also been killed in the ongoing airstrikes.
Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was expected to pull its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle remaining military infrastructure in the south, a task the Lebanese army has been carrying out with the help of UN peacekeepers. However, while the Lebanese army has dismantled much of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, Israel has maintained its presence in five strategic hilltops along the border, claiming it will stay “indefinitely” until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have continued to pressure Israel and the international community to end the occupation of southern Lebanon. They have also reiterated their commitment to a state monopoly on arms, with reports indicating plans to disarm factions within Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps, including Hamas and other Islamist groups.
