Image Credits - NDTV
According to a security source on Thursday, a Hezbollah commander, along with two other fighters and seven civilians, were killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon’s Nabatiyeh. This increased the death toll from the previous day’s raid. The total number of civilian casualties from Israeli strikes on Wednesday rose to 10, marking the highest death count since hostilities began in October. The Hezbollah commander, Ali al-Debs, had previously been targeted and injured in an Israeli drone strike in Nabatiyeh on February 8, as stated by the security source, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak to the media.
Two additional Hezbollah fighters who were with Ali al-Debs on the ground floor, along with seven civilians from the same family on the building’s first floor, were also killed in Wednesday’s strike in Nabatiyeh. Hezbollah announced on Thursday that three of its fighters, including Debs, had died, without specifying the location of their deaths. The Israeli army reported a soldier’s death from unclaimed rocket fire from Lebanon and confirmed airstrikes on Lebanon. Earlier, the National News Agency identified five of the deceased civilians as Hussein Barjawi, his two daughters, his sister, and his grandson, with his wife and niece also killed.
Emergency responders rescued a boy from the debris, and at least six others were hospitalized. The Israeli strike was conducted using a drone armed with a guided missile. Tensions between the Israeli military and Hezbollah have escalated since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October, sparking concerns of a potential full-scale war. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on Israeli surveillance equipment and a barracks, while Israeli jets targeted numerous Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to address the situation on Friday. The ongoing violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 259 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, and 40 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed.
