Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF eliminated the commander of Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit in a targeted strike overnight, as more than 1 million Lebanese residents have fled Beirut’s Dahieh district and the country's south amid ongoing fighting.
Katz made the remarks Monday during a visit to Northern Command, where he was briefed on the strike that killed Abu Hussein Raab, identified as the commander of the Nasr Unit in Hezbollah.
IDF strikes in Lebanon
(Video: IDF)
According to the briefing, about 650,000 residents have fled Dahieh, a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital and a Hezbollah stronghold, and roughly another half million have left southern Lebanon.
Katz visited the command alongside senior officers, including Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and other division and corps commanders.
During the visit, Katz praised the determination of IDF forces and emphasized the mission of defending communities in Israel’s north from cross-border raids and anti-tank fire.
“The decision to move forward immediately and defend the communities is morally and operationally correct,” Katz said. “It also ensures that what happened will not happen again.”
Katz said residents would remain in their homes and that defending communities is the top priority. “There is no evacuation and no abandonment. Everyone remains on their land, in their home, wherever they are,” he said.
From that point, he added, the campaign against Hezbollah should intensify rather than retreat. “Not only will we not withdraw in the face of Hezbollah, we will use the opportunity to strike it,” Katz said. “We are striking it and will continue to strike it. Prepare operational plans to hit it, exact a price and thwart its capabilities.”
Katz said the large-scale displacement of Lebanese civilians demonstrates the strength and deterrence of the IDF. “The fact that a million Lebanese have left their homes in southern Lebanon and Dahieh shows the power of the IDF and its deterrence,” he said.
He added that the situation should be used to eliminate the remaining threats and make the area safer than before Operation Roaring Lion began.
Katz also said the Lebanese government bears responsibility for failing to disarm Hezbollah, despite commitments under international agreements. “The Lebanese government took responsibility and signed agreements. It must stand by them,” he said. “It committed to disarm Hezbollah and must act to do so.”
Katz said Lebanon and its army failed to prevent Hezbollah from operating in the south, adding that “what we do not do, no one else will do.”
“We have an opportunity to bring very, very significant security,” he said.