Israel reported that it has killed another high-ranking Hezbollah military commander, Muhammad Hussein Srour, a Hezbollah commander in charge of Hezbollah's Aerial Command, with a strike on Beirut described as "surgical." The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed today that at least two people were killed and 15 others were injured in the attack on Dahieh in Beirut on Thursday. Hezbollah has yet to comment on Srour's death.
This follows statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel would "continue the fighting with full force." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X, saying, "Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah's Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut." According to the IDF, Srour was behind organizing hundreds of aerial terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and was behind some of the UAV and explosive device attacks during the "Iron Swords" war. According to the IDF, over the past few years Srour commanded the UAV manufacturing project in southern Lebanon and established UAV manufacturing and intelligence-gathering sites near civilian infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Some other tasks he was in charge of included commanding the surface-to-air missile unit and the "Aziz" Unit of the Radwan Force, in addition to being Hezbollah's emissary to Yemen and the Houthi terrorist regime's Aerial Command.
A second, distinct assault on the Syrian-Lebanese border killed at least 23 and four more were injured, 19 of whom were Syrian refugees. Almost 700 people have been reported dead due to Israeli attacks against Lebanon since Monday, but Monday and Tuesday's strikes are in retaliation to last week's explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies around the whole country.
Netanyahu ruled out a potential cease-fire to end the two-way conflict involving Hezbollah and Israel despite the call by both the United States and France for a 21-day cessation of hostilities. He reiterated that fighting in Gaza would continue until the war's objectives are met.
US President Joe Biden pointed out worldwide solidarity toward the 21-day peace-for-cease-fire call that they and other leaders have been pushing. "We were able to win good support from Europe, as well as the Arab nations. It's important this war not widen," said Biden as he headed back to the White House.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence emerged victorious from the US aid package, amounting to $8.7 billion, towards helping in military operations, which includes the imperative wartime procurement of $3.5 billion and air defense systems worth $5.2 billion.
Israel has argued that the measures it is taking against Hezbollah are to open ways through which people can be readmitted into the north.
Tensions escalate in the region, as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi mentioned that "the country will not remain indifferent in case of full-scale war in Lebanon." In such circumstances, he threatened, "Crimes of Israel will not go unpunished," and the Middle East "risks full-scale conflict" unless the United Nations Security Council does "something to stop Israel's war and impose a ceasefire.". "The Israeli leaders must know this: the crimes committed by them will not go unpunished. The way to de-escalation is known. The attacks of Israel on Gaza and Lebanon should be stopped right now. Without a cease-fire in Gaza, there will be no guarantee of peace in the region," he declared, adding, "Iran will not remain indifferent if full-scale war is waged in Lebanon. We stand with the people of Lebanon with all means."
Read also| FM Lavrov: Russia Will Prevail in Ukraine Conflict Provoked by the West
