Israel Targets Hezbollah Leaders in Lebanon Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

Since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli military operations have extended into Lebanon, targeting key figures within Hezbollah. The most recent strike on July 30, 2024, resulted in the death of Fuad Shukr, identified by the Israeli military as Hezbollah’s senior commander.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of approximately 350 Hezbollah fighters. The targeted killings have intensified since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalated in parallel with the Gaza war. Below is a summary of the prominent Hezbollah figures who have been targeted by Israeli operations:

Fuad Shukr Fuad Shukr, a prominent Hezbollah military leader since the group’s inception by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, was killed in a recent strike. The U.S. had previously accused Shukr of involvement in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American servicemen. The U.S. government had placed a bounty of up to $5 million on his head. Israel described Shukr as a key lieutenant to Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and held him responsible for an attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that resulted in 12 fatalities.

Mohammed Nasser Mohammed Nasser, a senior Hezbollah commander responsible for operations along the Lebanese frontier, was killed on July 3, 2024. Israel claimed Nasser led a unit involved in cross-border fire from southwestern Lebanon into Israel.

Taleb Abdallah Taleb Abdallah, a senior Hezbollah field commander, was killed on June 12, 2024, in a strike targeting a command and control center in southern Lebanon. Abdallah was reportedly the commander for the central region of the southern border and held a rank similar to Nasser. His death led to a significant retaliatory rocket barrage from Hezbollah into Israel.

Wissam Tawil Wissam Tawil, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces, was the first senior Hezbollah officer killed in the latest conflict. Tawil, who had served in Syria and Iraq, was killed on January 8, 2024, when an Israeli airstrike hit his vehicle in a southern Lebanese village. Tawil was responsible for directing Hezbollah’s southern operations.

Saleh Arouri Saleh Arouri, deputy chief of Hamas, was killed in a targeted strike on January 2, 2024, in a Hamas office located in Beirut’s southern suburbs. This strike was one of the few targeted operations near the Lebanese capital since the conflict began. Although Lebanese officials and Hezbollah accused Israel, the Israeli military neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Arouri’s killing.

These targeted strikes highlight the ongoing complexity and regional ramifications of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, exacerbated by the broader Gaza war. The situation remains fluid, with continued tensions likely to impact both regional stability and international relations.