An Israeli strike on south Lebanon on Monday killed a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, three security sources told Reuters.

The security sources identified him as Wissam al-Tawil, the deputy head of a unit within the Radwan force. They said he and another Hezbollah fighter were killed when their car was hit in a strike on the Lebanese village of Majdal Selm.

“This is a very painful strike,” one of the security sources said. Another said, “things will flare up now.”

Israeli bombardment has killed more than 130 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon since cross-border shelling began in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7. Another 19 have been killed in Syria.

Hezbollah’s secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel in two televised addresses last week not to launch a full-scale war on Lebanon.

  • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    8 months ago

    Israel is playing a dangerous game here.

    I really have to wonder if they’ve gotten some kind of pre-emptive support from Biden that is making them believe they’ll suffer no harm from retaliatory Lebanese strikes.

    • Bezerker03@lemmy.bezzie.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      8 months ago

      Israel has historically wiped the floor with most of these countries even without us aid.

      Never forget they had like 5 countries try to invade in the war of 1948 and they fought back each one and in many cases conquered territory. (Example they had part of Egypt etc and gave it back).

      Granted things have changed a bit but they still maintain a fairly significant military force.

      They aren’t really worried.

      • Mrkawfee@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        8 months ago

        They’re not worried but they pump out enough propaganda about how they are constantly threatened with annihilation.

        • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          8 months ago

          Tbf Israel is surrounded by nations who would be happy if it were wiped off the face of the earth … so Israel isn’t totally lying here.

          The problem is Palestinians have an absolute right to live there as well, but Israel has become like the spoiled child who’s been given everything without understanding the need to play nice with others. And Netanyahu is the epitome of a sneaky conniving asshole who never should have been leader.

          • Mrkawfee@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            8 months ago

            Fair point. The two state solution is dead though. Israels apartheid system needs to be dismantled. Palestinians should have full civil rights and freedom of movement.

            • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              8 months ago

              I hope you’re wrong about the death of the 2-state solution.

              I suspect we’ll find out soon if Biden is willing to put the brakes on Netanyahi and Israel’s right-wing coalitions tho.

              • Mrkawfee@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                0
                ·
                8 months ago

                Why? 2 state solution would have been a disaster. It would have created a Palestinian Bantustan fully under Israel’s economic and military control. The just solution is one state with equality for all.

                • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  0
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  Israel will never agree to a one-nation state with 100% Palestinian equality.

                  A 2-nation state with Palestinians in control of their own water, electric and land resources - without Israel’s incursions on or in Palestinian affairs - is a fair and equitable solution.

                  Rabin and Carter were close to that with the Oslo Accords, but Rabin’s assassination shut it down.

      • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        8 months ago

        Israel has never been alone since the day it became a nation.

        … having the backing of America, specifically militarily, has led Israel to “a great success story,” helping it survive wars that broke out in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. Source

        The U.S. has given Israel $158 billion since Israel was founded, not adjusting for inflation, according to the Congressional Research Service. That makes Israel one of the biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid since World War II. Source

        Between 2001 and 2020, Israel received more military aid from the US than all other nations combined. Source