The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday confirmed the killing of the commander of Hezbollah’s medium-range rockets unit during an airstrike in Beirut.
He was identified as Eid Hassan Nashar.
Giving details about the ‘elimination’ of the commander, the group posted on X: “Hezbollah’s Missiles and Rockets Force. IAF fighter jets struck and eliminated commanders and infrastructure over the last week.”
“During an airstrike in Beirut on Saturday, Eid Hassan Nashar, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Medium-Range Rocket Unit, was eliminated. Eid was a veteran commander in Hezbollah and served a significant role in the unit’s day-to-day operations. In the past, he served as the Commander of the Surface-to-Surface Rocket Unit and Deputy Commander of the Badr Unit,” the force said.
“We will continue operating to dismantle the capabilities of the Hezbollah terrorist army,” the IDF said.
The Israeli government has informed the USA that it is conducting limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon which is located close to the border, a top State Department official said.
“They have, at this time, told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border, but we’re in continuous conversations with them about it,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing as quoted by CNN.
Israel said on Saturday it killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Describing Nasrallah as “one of the greatest enemies of the State of Israel,” the Israeli military claimed that his elimination “makes the world a safer place.”
The Israeli military confirmed that Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years, was killed in Friday’s airstrike in Beirut, the stronghold of the Iran-backed group. Hezbollah confirmed his death on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Nasrallah’s death was retribution for the killing of Israelis and other foreign nationals, including Americans. He added that had Nasrallah survived, he would have rapidly rebuilt Hezbollah’s operational strength.
U.S. President Joe Biden called Nasrallah’s death a “measure of justice,” reasserting the stance of the U.S., which supplies arms to Israel.
More than one million people across Lebanon have been uprooted by ongoing and deadly Israeli airstrikes across the country, including one reported early Monday morning in a residential area of central Beirut, adding to fears of a full-scale invasion.
In a situation update published on Monday the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 11 health workers had been killed and 10 injured between 17 and 28 September. Some 37 health centres have been forced to close due to the fighting out of 317 in total, and three hospitals treating patients have been evacuated.
“Many healthcare workers have been displaced especially in the south, Bekaa and South Beirut”, WHO reported.
WHO continues to support Lebanon’s public health emergency response with staffing, financial and technical support, helping coordinate referrals and boosting trauma surgery capacity.
Meanwhile, some 100,000 of the displaced have reached neighbouring Syria, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
