BEIRUT: Hezbollah on Saturday kept up retaliatory attacks on military positions in northern Israel, and one person was killed in Lebanon, days after an Israeli strike hit a senior commander from the Iran-backed group.
Senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdallah was killed in an Israeli strike in the village of Jouaiyya on Tuesday, alongside three comrades, a source close to the group had told AFP.
Hezbollah said Saturday that it targeted the Meron base in northern Israel with “guided missiles,” and sent “attack drones” toward another Israeli base “as part of the response to the attack and assassination carried out by the enemy in Jouaiyya.”
Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel which triggered war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army had confirmed it carried out the strike targeting Abdallah, describing him as “one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders in southern Lebanon.”
On Saturday, the Israeli army said “two projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the IDF (army) Aerial Control Unit in the area of Meron in northern Israel,” reporting “no injuries or damage to the unit’s capabilities.”
It also said “several aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory” and falling in the Goren area, adding there were no reported injuries but that “a fire broke out.”
“Aircraft struck a Hezbollah terrorist” in south Lebanon’s Aitarun area, the military said, adding that “artillery fired to remove a threat,” also in the Aitarun area.
A source close to Hezbollah and rescuers affiliated with the group said a non-Lebanese man was killed in Aitarun, without providing further details.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency had reported unspecified casualties in an “Israeli drone” strike on a motorbike on the road between Aitarun and Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.
On Wednesday, top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine vowed the group would “increase the intensity, strength, quantity and quality of our attacks,” while speaking at Abdallah’s funeral.
A Lebanese military source said Abdallah was the “most important” Hezbollah commander to have been killed since the start of the war.
The cross-border violence has killed at least 471 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 91 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
Israeli authorities say at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country’s north.
Hezbollah keeps up pressure on Israel days after commander’s death
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Hezbollah keeps up pressure on Israel days after commander’s death
- Hezbollah said Saturday that it targeted the Meron base in northern Israel with “guided missiles,” and sent “attack drones” toward another Israeli base
- The Israeli army said “two projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the IDF (army) Aerial Control Unit in the area of Meron in northern Israel“
Egypt coordinates with Greece to return victims of migrant boat, warns against irregular routes
- Egypt’s measures have drawn international support, with the European Union pledging €200 million in grants in March 2024 to bolster border management
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has instructed the Egyptian embassy in Athens to step up coordination with Greek authorities, Ahram Online reported on Tuesday.
The move aims to support survivors and expedite the repatriation of the victims’ bodies once legal procedures are completed.
The ministry added that the embassy has been in contact with the families of those who died to arrange the transfer of the remains back home.
Offering its condolences to the victims’ families, the ministry renewed its warning to citizens about the risks of irregular migration, urging Egyptians to safeguard their lives by using legal and regulated travel channels.
Egypt has intensified its efforts to curb irregular migration since launching a national strategy in 2016, with officials stressing that the country will not be used as a transit route to Europe.
Authorities say no migrant boats have departed from Egyptian shores since the strategy was introduced, despite Egypt hosting nearly 10 million foreign nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from 133 countries.
The approach has continued to evolve over the years, most recently with the adoption of the 2024–2026 national action plan by the National Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons.
Earlier initiatives have also supported these efforts, including the 2019 “Lifeboats” programme, which allocated EGP 250 million to create job opportunities in villages considered most vulnerable to irregular migration.
Egypt’s measures have drawn international support, with the European Union pledging €200 million in grants in March 2024 to bolster border management, search-and-rescue capabilities, and efforts to combat migrant smuggling.
