Shafaq News- Beirut
Israel's military on Friday claimed killing “Abed Harb,” commander of Hezbollah's engineering unit, as fighting intensified across southern Lebanon despite a US-backed ceasefire framework announced two days earlier.
The Israeli military did not disclose where or when exactly the operation took place, and Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the claim.
Both sides have recently targeted military commanders and command infrastructure. Israeli media reported earlier this week that a Hezbollah drone struck a vehicle used by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo during a patrol in southern Lebanon after he had exited the vehicle, claiming that he was not injured. In recent months, Hezbollah has also announced attacks targeting Israel's Northern Command headquarters and other military command facilities across the southern border.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that he had visited the northern settlement of Shlomi shortly before Hezbollah drone warning sirens were activated there on Thursday, though it did not link the incident to any specific threat against the prime minister.
Israeli forces meanwhile continued air and artillery strikes across southern Lebanon, according to local media, which reported attacks in the districts of Nabatieh, Tyre, Saida, Bint Jbeil, and Marjayoun. Israel's military also issued new evacuation orders covering additional towns and villages beyond the Litani and Al-Zahrani rivers. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, such Israeli attacks killed 3,526 people and injured 10,733 others between March 2 and June 4.
Hezbollah responded with multiple operations overnight and early Friday, including the detonation of explosive devices against an Israeli force advancing toward the eastern outskirts of Al-Ghandouriyeh, causing casualties before Israeli troops withdrew under cover of smoke and artillery fire. The group also reported rocket and missile attacks targeting Israeli troop and vehicle concentrations near the historic Beaufort (Shqif) Castle area and in the town of Al-Qantara.
On June 3, Washington announced a ceasefire framework following talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials, contingent on Hezbollah ceasing attacks and withdrawing all of its fighters south of the Litani River. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem subsequently rejected any arrangement linking disarmament to a halt in Israeli attacks before a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
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