Israeli strike kills Hezbollah militant in Lebanon

Jerusalem/Beirut, July 19 (IANS) The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it killed a militant from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Forces in southern Lebanon on Saturday, using a military aircraft.

The IDF stated that the militant was involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah's militant infrastructure in the town of Al-Khiam, located in southern Lebanon.

It claimed that his activities constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre of the Lebanese Health Ministry stated that an Israeli drone strike on a house in the town of Al-Khiam resulted in one death. A Lebanese security source told Xinhua news agency that the person killed was identified as Mohammad Abdullah Al-Hadi, a member of Hezbollah.

Earlier this week, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes targetting wide areas in eastern Lebanon, hitting positions belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

The official Lebanese National News Agency reported on Tuesday that "hostile warplanes launched several air raids on the eastern mountain range and the outskirts of the towns of Shmustar, Wadi Umm Ali, Bodai, the villages of Nabi Chit and Taraya, which are part of the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon."

A source in the Lebanese army intelligence and eyewitnesses from southern regions said that "Israeli warplanes conducted eight airstrikes in less than five minutes on areas in eastern Lebanon."

They said, "The raids targeted Hezbollah sites that had previously been subjected to similar airstrikes."

The Israeli military announced Tuesday that it launched a wave of airstrikes in eastern Lebanon targetting sites linked to Hezbollah's Radwan Force, saying the strikes were aimed at preventing the elite force from restoring its attack capabilities.

It said in a statement that warplanes carried out "numerous strikes" toward Hezbollah targets in the area of Beqaa, hitting military compounds allegedly used by the group for training and exercises. The facilities included areas used for weapons training and live-fire drills, the statement said.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were "a clear message" to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, accusing Hezbollah of attempting to restore the Radwan Force's ability to launch cross-border raids.

A ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France, has been in effect in Lebanon since November 27, 2024, following more than a year of clashes related to the war in the Gaza Strip.

--IANS

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