BEIRUT: The Israeli military claimed that it has killed two Hezbollah commanders in airstrikes in southern Lebanon, according to Al-Jazeera.
Al-Jazeera cited Israeli military as saying that Ahmed Mustafa Allhaj Ali, and Muhammad Ali Hamdan were killed by Israel. The Israeli military claimed it bombed weapons warehouses in Beirut and other military infrastructure in southern Lebanon overnight. However, Hezbollah did not issue any statement over the development.
The Middle East has remained on edge, with fears of further escalation after Israel ramped up its military actions in Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in clashes since October 2023, following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel.
The Israeli military’s plans to respond to Iran’s missile attack have been slow to materialize, leaving Washington keen to influence Israel’s course of action. A senior US official said that Washington aims to ensure Israel’s response remains measured, especially given the broader implications for regional security.
The ongoing war has placed the Biden administration under scrutiny, both internationally and domestically. President Biden has faced sharp criticism from allies and members of his own Democratic Party for not leveraging the US position as Israel’s primary arms supplier to restrain Netanyahu’s military actions, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has warned that it would be unacceptable for Israel’s military intrusion in southern Lebanon to evolve into a condition similar to its attack of Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they could not and must not see the situation in Lebanon turn into anything like the situation in the Gaza Strip, adding that would, of course, not be acceptable.
