The Israeli military reports a strike on the headquarters of a Hezbollah commander.

 Suhail Hussein Husseini has reportedly been killed as Israel intensifies its efforts to target Hezbollah’s leadership.

Smoke rises over the southern suburbs of Beirut following an Israeli strike, as viewed from Sin el-Fil, Lebanon [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters].

  
Published on 8 Oct 2024.

Israeli forces have reported the killing of another senior Hezbollah commander in a strike on the Lebanese capital.

In a statement on X, the Israeli army announced that Suhail Hussein Husseini, the head of Hezbollah’s headquarters, was killed as fighter jets targeted the Beirut area.

Since launching attacks last month aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s command structure, Israel claims to have achieved significant successes, although these operations have also resulted in civilian casualties.

According to the army, Husseini’s death represents a major blow to Hezbollah. He was involved in facilitating weapons transfers from Iran to Hezbollah and in distributing smuggled weapons among the group’s various units. Additionally, he managed the budgeting and logistics for Hezbollah’s most sensitive projects, including planning attacks against Israel from Lebanon and Syria.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on the Israeli announcement.

Israel has dealt significant blows to both Hezbollah and its ally Hamas, targeting their leaders and commanders since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Notably, Israel struck a major blow to Hezbollah by killing longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut last month.

In recent months, Israeli forces have killed numerous high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including Ibrahim Qubaisi, Ibrahim Aqil, and Ahmed Wahbi. However, Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, asserted that the group’s military capabilities remain intact and that its leadership is stable despite the “painful” Israeli strikes.

As tensions escalate, concerns are rising over the potential for a regional conflict involving Israel and Iran, among others. Since initiating its assault on Gaza, Israel has also focused on its northern border, allowing many Israeli civilians to return to their homes. The Israeli military announced last week that it has begun ground incursions into Lebanon while continuing attacks on towns and villages along the border, as well as on the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut.