The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it killed a Hezbollah operative in the town of Ansariya in southern Lebanon, a day after eliminating a senior figure in the group’s air defense array.
Arab media reported that the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone. Footage from the scene showed the operative’s vehicle engulfed in flames seconds after the explosion. The IDF said the operative was involved in efforts to restore Hezbollah military infrastructure.
Footage from the scene of the strike in Lebanon
Later, Lebanese media reported an additional Israeli strike on a vehicle near the village of Al-Kallilah in southern Lebanon. According to the reports, a young man and two women were wounded. No details were provided on their condition.
At the same time, IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings ahead of planned strikes on buildings in the villages of Tebnine and Ain Qana in southern Lebanon.
In the statement, the IDF said it would strike Hezbollah terror infrastructure in response to attempts by the organization to rebuild its military capabilities in the area. Residents living in or near the marked buildings were instructed to evacuate immediately and move at least 300 meters away for their safety.
IDF footage of the strike
(Video: IDF)
On Sunday, the IDF said it killed Ali Al-Hadi Al-Hakani, a senior Hezbollah air defense official, in the Harouf area of southern Lebanon. According to the military, Al-Hakani had recently been involved in efforts to restore air defense infrastructure damaged in earlier fighting.
The IDF said the actions of the operatives killed over the past two days constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the situation in the north during a special Cabinet meeting in Kiryat Shmona on Sunday, saying Israel had carried out a “dramatic change” in security after decades and was committed to maintaining it across the country.