BEIRUT: Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it targeted an Israeli command base in Safed as retaliation for the recent killings of one of its commanders and the deputy leader of Hamas. Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated, resulting in near-daily exchanges of fire across the border since Israel’s attack on Gaza began on October 7.
Hezbollah claimed to have used “several suicide drones” in the attack on the “enemy’s northern command center” in Safed. The assault was characterized as a response to the killings of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri on January 2 and Hezbollah field commander Wissam Tawil on Monday. The Israeli army confirmed that a “hostile aircraft” came down at one of its bases in the north, with no reported injuries or damage.
Hezbollah’s Retaliatory Actions Against Israel
Hezbollah’s retaliatory actions have been escalating. On Saturday, the group claimed to have fired over 60 rockets at an Israeli military base, responding to the killing of Aruri in Beirut, which was widely attributed to Israel. Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, warned that Israel’s targeted killings would not lead to a phase of retreat but rather a push forward for the resistance.
Wissam Tawil, the highest-ranking Hezbollah member, was buried in his south Lebanon village of Khirbit Silm on Tuesday. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters attended the funeral procession, expressing solidarity with the group. Prior to the procession, an Israeli strike targeted a car in the village, though the target and casualties remained unclear.
Tawil was a top Hezbollah commander and a member of the elite al-Radwan Brigade. He had directed numerous operations against Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war. Another Israeli strike on Tuesday targeted a car in the south Lebanon village of Ghandouria, resulting in the death of three Hezbollah fighters, as confirmed by the group.
