Beirut:
Hezbollah said Wednesday that a commander had died, hours after the Israeli army said it had killed him in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs that Lebanese authorities said killed six people.
The Iran-backed group called “commander Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi” “martyred on the road to Jerusalem”, a term Hezbollah uses to describe fighters killed by Israeli strikes.
On Tuesday, Israel’s army said it “eliminated Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi, the commander of the missile and rocket network of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation”.
The health ministry of Lebanon said in a statement, “the Israeli enemy raid on Ghobeiri in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed six and injured 15.”
The Israeli military said that Kobeissi was leading several rocket units, and among the units he was commanding is a precision-guided missile unit, and he got hit as were other commanders of the missiles and rockets force of Hezbollah.
“Kobeissi was a key figure in the missile field and maintained close contacts with Hezbollah’s leading military personnel,” it said.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a media briefing that “at least two” other commanders from Kobeissi’s force were also “eliminated”.
The raid came a day after Israel said it had launched another “targeted strike” on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Hezbollah said third-in-command Ali Karake was alive, having moved to safety after a source close to the group reported that the strike on Monday had targeted him.
The up-and-coming young man, 20 years old, had been among several people injured in the blast. Hezbollah and its arch-foe Israel have been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire since the Gaza war erupted last October. But violence has spiralled dramatically in recent days, raising fears of all-out war. The Israeli Airstrike: A Strategic Move
Israel’s targeted strike in Lebanon has sent shock waves through the region. Israeli forces struck out against important Hezbollah figures, leaving little doubt that it was set to neutralize this organization’s influence. The militant group suffered a blow with the killing of a top commander, but Israel took away Hezbollah’s command structure in this operation. Israel will now transition into more aggressive tactics, which will dismantle Hezbollah’s command structure. It exposes the brazen strategy of Israel to reduce the capabilities of Hezbollah on its northern border.
Hezbollah’s Response: Threat of Retaliation
Hezbollah swiftly condemned the killing and announced its threat of retaliation. Hezbollah leaders stated that the murder of their commander will not go unreplied to. The swift reaction of Hezbollah, following its’s placement in a defensive position changes the nature of the retaliatory action. It can prolong the state of war. As the promise of revenge hangs in the air, people can only speculate how and when Hezbollah will strike. Such development feeds the alarms that possibly a wider conflict might unfold in the region.
Effect on Lebanese-Israeli Ties
The killing of the Hezbollah commander has further deepened a fragile relationship between Lebanon and Israel. For decades, these neighboring countries have been locked into a bitter struggle. Transitions from sporadic skirmishes to full-scale warfare may yet be the lot for the region, especially after Hezbollah seemed to issue an ultimatum of revenge. The airstrike against Lebanon was not only a blow to Hezbollah but also escalated diplomatic friction. The attack was condemned by Lebanon’s government, as it is deemed to have violated its sovereignty. In fact, it seems this confrontation will inch Lebanon and Israel closer to a military clash. The flicker of peace between two nations seems to hang by a thin string.
The Hezbollah in Lebanon
Hezbollah, despite being recognized as a terrorist group by most of the world’s countries, is very powerful in this country’s political and military fields. The loss of its leader is indeed a great loss to the group. Hezbollah has been able to sustain power in both the political and military spheres of influence. Its leadership is imbedded in the nitty-gritty of the political setup of Lebanon and influences fundamental mechanisms of the government that govern the nation. The group’s reaction to the strike will definitely inform Lebanon’s domestic politics, especially as Hezbollah tries to solidify its position. The killing of the commander may unilaterally create more momentum for Hezbollah from its sympathizers and strengthen its stronghold in Lebanon.
Israel Security Issues
To Israel, Hezbollah is one of its most vital security issues. The existence of this movement along the Israeli-Lebanese border directly violates the sovereign right of Israel. By killing the Hezbollah commander, Israel is reinforcing its rhetoric of border security. Moving to a more on the offensive side, Israel managed to act before the next attack happens. Hezbolah’s expanding military power and arsenal of missiles only increases the concerns of Israel’s safety and security, so Israel aggressive pose is in line with its strategy to prevent Hezbollah from becoming a powerful group. Yet, this approach cannot provide a successful outcome because Hezbollah threatens retaliation.
Regional Implications: Brewing Conflict?
The killing of the Hezbollah commander has taken high tension in the Middle East to new heights. Now, the conflict-the increasingly one between Israel and Hezbollah-offers a dramatic perspective to the wider ramifications for regional stability. This can still be a very real threat: changing skirmishes in localized warfare into wider regional conflicts. Monitoring closely are the situation Iran- known for being a supporter of Hezbollah- and Israel’s Western allies. Escalation will cause these international players to respond and this may possibly unravel even more nations in the conflict. This could lead to instability affecting the fragile peace currently reigning in the Middle East.
Conclusion: Has the Hezbollah-Israel Conflict Reached a Tipping Point?
The killing of the Hezbollah commander in the Israeli airstrike marks a crucial point in the ongoing conflict between the two forces. Tension has been exacerbated because of the airstrike, as Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate. Israel has reacted by strengthening defenses and advancing its tactics aimed at curbing Hezbollah’s power. Both sides are locked into a struggle that could turn into a full-scale war if either side continues to burn bridges, paving the transition to an uncertain future. This incident itself threatens to widen the peace in the Middle East, far beyond the aftermath of the Lebanon-Israel conflict. Now it holds two parties with the most critical decisions that will determine the fate of this region.
It is then at these uncertain times that the world holds its breath to see whether in the volatility of the atmosphere it will be diplomacy or violence that triumphs.
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