Amid the ongoing conflict with the Iran-backed militant group, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have killed Muhammad Hussein Srour, the head of Hezbollah’s Aerial Command, during an airstrike in Beirut. IDF tweeted on X (formerly Twitter), ‘Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah’s Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut’. According to the IDF, Srour played a significant role in orchestrating aerial terrorist operations against Israeli civilians.
The post further read, ‘Srour directed and advanced multiple aerial terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians. During the ‘Iron Swords’ war, he was responsible for several attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, employing UAVs and explosive devices’.
Further, the IDF noted his leadership in the surface-to-air missile unit and the Aziz Unit of the Radwan Force, as well as his role as Hezbollah’s emissary to Yemen, supporting the Houthi regime’s Aerial Command. As tensions between the Israel and Lebanon rise, the United States has called for a 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border to prevent further escalation and provide space for diplomatic efforts, both in Lebanon and Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of over 600 people in Lebanon, marking it one of the deadliest and most intense bombardments in nearly a year. The Israeli military has requested residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate, as it prepares to intensify its operations against Hezbollah.
Earlier, Lebanon was shaken by a first-of-its-kind ‘pager attack,’ leaving several dead and many injured. According to the media reports, the attack involved hacking and sabotaging Hezbollah’s encrypted communications network, widely believed to be done by Israel’s Intelligence agency Mossad.
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz rejected the proposals for a ceasefire with Hezbollah following the United States and France called for a 21-day pause in fighting that has killed hundreds in Lebanon and increased the fears of a ground invasion. Katz said in a statement on the social media platform X, ‘There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes’.
The comments raised hopes for a peaceful settlement, following Prime Minister Najib Mikati had expressed hope that a ceasefire can be reached soon in Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes seeking safety. Across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, the biggest fighting in nearly two decades between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has raised fears.
“ALSO READ: Middle East On Alert As Israel-Hezbollah Towards Full-Scale War”
Comments