HEZBOLLAH LAUNCHES 200 ROCKETS AFTER ISRAEL KILLS SENIOR COMMANDER
July 4, 2024
Hezbollah says a top commander has been killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, at least the third high-ranking official in the group to be killed in almost nine months of cross-border fighting that has sparked fears of wider regional escalation.
The Lebanese armed group on Wednesday said that Muhammad Nimah Nasser, also known as “Hajj Abu Naameh”, had been killed. The Iran-aligned group later said it had launched 100 katyusha rockets targeting Israeli military positions.
The announcement of Nasser’s death on the group’s Telegram did not provide the location, but a source previously told Al Jazeera that a commander had been killed in the Hosh area in Tyre in southern Lebanon. A source close to the group confirmed to the AFP news agency that Nasser had been killed in the Tyre attack.
The source said that Nasser had the same rank as Taleb Abdallah, another top commander who was killed by an Israeli attack in June. At the time, Abdallah was the highest-ranking Hezbollah military official killed since the group began fighting Israel on October 8 in response to bombardment of Gaza. Following Abdallah’s killing, Hezbollah launched one of its largest rocket barrages on northern Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed it targeted Nasser, and said he was a “counterpart” of Abdallah and in charge of Hezbollah’s “antitank and rocket fire from southwest Lebanon”. In January, an Israeli strike also killed Wissam al-Tawil, another top commander from the group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in late June that Israeli forces must shift their focus to northern Israel, while far-right Israeli ministers called for a full-scale invasion of territory controlled by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said Israel is seeking to prevent a wider war, but warned that its military has the capacity to take “Lebanon back to the Stone Age”.
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English Script:
Ian Hee: Hezbollah says it fired 100 rockets at Israel in response to the killing of one of its senior commanders. The Lebanese militant group said through a statement on Wednesday that Mohammed Naame Nasser had been killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, later adding that it launched 100 Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military base in another attack near the border. According to the Israeli military, most of the rockets fell in open areas without causing any injuries. Israel identified Nasser as the commander of a unit that operated from southwestern Lebanon, which was responsible for firing attacks into Israel. Sources indicate that Nasser held a similar rank to Taleb Abdallah, a senior commander killed by an Israeli strike in June. That attack prompt Hezbollah to launch some 200 rockets at Israel, the largest rocket attack since the conflict in Gaza began on October 7th. Another of Hezbollah’s top commanders was killed by Israel in January. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli government said it is reviewing Hamas’ response to an Israeli proposal, which included the release of hostages and a ceasefire. Israel’s intelligence service confirmed on Wednesday that mediators in Qatar and Egypt had submitted Hamas’ response to Israel. Hamas also confirmed that one of the group’s leaders had engaged with mediators positively, but demanded a deal that includes a complete ceasefire. Ian Hee Arirang News.
