A woman reads the Koran at the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.
Hassan Ammar/AP
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Hassan Ammar/AP
Israel’s military said it carried out “dozens” of additional strikes on Hezbollah targets early Sunday, as reports circulated that two more senior Hezbollah commanders had been killed after killing the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In a statement, the IDF said it had removed Nabil Kaouk, head of Hezbollah’s preventive security council.
Hezbollah did not comment on Kaouk’s whereabouts, but separately confirmed the death of another senior commander, Ali Karaki.
At least 11 people were killed in the latest attack, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Israel earlier than expected from a trip to the United Nations as Israel was said to be preparing an invasion of southern Lebanon after reserves were called into northern Israel.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the air force targeted “buildings where weapons and military structures are stored.”
The IDF said it had struck hundreds of Hezbollah targets since Saturday, targeting attacks on Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut and a densely populated Hezbollah stronghold.
“The IDF continues to attack with force, destroying and destroying Hezbollah’s military capabilities and infrastructure in Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a post on X.
The Israeli attack left 33 more people dead on Saturday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and another 195 wounded.
Meanwhile, the IDF also said it had intercepted eight projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday, striking an open area near Tiberias in northern Israel.
In the latest exchange of fire, combined with Israel’s preparations to attack southern Lebanon has been installed fears that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is heading to an all-out war.
The assassination of Israel Nasrallah, in particular, represents a dramatic new development for the conflict that has metastasized in the Middle East region since last October.
In a statement on Saturday, Netanyahu stood by the move, citing “the changing balance of power in the region over the past several years.”
“Nasrallah is not a terrorist; they are terrorists,” Netanyahu said in a statement, warning of the coming days.
World Leaders Continue to Call for Ceasefire
Even as Israeli forces prepare to respond to Hezbollah’s revenge attacks, Lebanon’s Information Minister said on Sunday that talks for a ceasefire with Israel were still “ongoing” even as exchanges of fire continued.
The US, France, Britain and other allies have called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, although the prospect of such an agreement appears less and less likely.
“Now is the time for a ceasefire,” President Joe Biden said to reporters Friday when leaving the church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Asked about the killing of Nasrallah, however, Biden said the death of the longtime Hezbollah leader was a “measure of justice” for the victims of a four-decade “reign of terror.”
In a separate statement, Biden noted the operation to capture Nasrallah occurred in the wider context of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
“Nasrallah, the next day, made the momentous decision to join Hamas and open what he called the ‘northern front’ against Israel,” Biden said in a statement.
On Saturday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy again called for a ceasefire, saying in the post on X that he has spoken to the Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati.
“We agree that an immediate ceasefire is needed to stop the bloodshed,” Lammy said. “A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability to the people of Lebanon and Israel.”
Mikati told reporters on Sunday that he “welcomes” the ceasefire, and that if it happens, it should apply to both Gaza and Lebanon.
