Israel confirms killing senior Hezbollah commander in airstrike

TEL AVIV: Israel confirmed the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on Thursday as the Lebanese terror group fired rockets at the Upper Galilee.

Fadel Ibrahim, who commanded Hezbollah operations in the southern Lebanese village of Jouaiyya, was working to improve the capabilities of Hezbollah's ground forces. Ibrahim was killed in the area of Deir Kifa. Lebanese media reports showed photos of a burning car.

Israeli fighter jets also struck a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher in the southern Lebanese village of Rihan. In response, Hezbollah fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at Moshav Zarit in the Upper Galilee.

Earlier in the day, 10 rocket launches crossing from Lebanon were detected. No casualties were reported.

The attacks came as US special envoy Amos Hochstein conceded that his shuttle diplomacy hit a dead end. After Hochstein left Beirut, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened all-out war with Israel, adding that the Iran-backed terror group would even attack Cyprus.

Around 60,000 Israelis living in northern communities were forced to evacuate in October when the Hezbollah terror organisation began daily rocket and drone attacks. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. Since October 7, the Hezbollah attacks have killed 10 civilians and 15 soldiers.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.