The IDF said Sunday that more than 150 Hezbollah terrorists were killed in strikes across Lebanon in the 24 hours before a ceasefire took effect, including a senior regional commander.
According to the military, Ali Reza Abbas, the Hezbollah commander for the Bint Jbeil sector, was among those killed. The IDF said he was the fourth person to hold that role to be eliminated since Operation Northern Arrows in the fall of 2024.
The military said about 300 Hezbollah targets were struck across Lebanon in the final day of fighting before the ceasefire, including launchers, command centers and weapons storage sites.
Prior to the Israeli announcement, Lebanese social media users identified as Hezbollah supporters reported Abbas’ death. Some described him as a senior figure in the Radwan Force, the group’s elite unit, while an obituary circulating online referred to him as a “great jihadist commander.” Hezbollah-affiliated official channels had not confirmed his death.
Among those posting about his death was Mona Tahini, a reporter for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, who shared messages on X, including one attributed to Abbas’ grandson praising him.
According to reports circulating online, Abbas was considered one of Hezbollah’s most experienced and influential military commanders. He was originally from the village of Barish near Tyre in southern Lebanon and had been active in the organization for more than 40 years.
In 2024, following the killing of Hezbollah’s operations chief Ibrahim Aqil, Abbas was reportedly chosen as his successor.
One post described him as a key figure who led Radwan forces during major confrontations over the past two years, saying he played a central operational role in reorganizing the unit. Reports also said he received advanced military training in Iran and was considered one of Hezbollah’s leading operational officers.