Tel Aviv, June 19 (IANS): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Yassin Abdel Menam Ezz al-Din, in an airstrike carried out in southern Lebanon’s Barish area.
Al-Din, who served as Hezbollah’s artillery commander in the Litani sector, was reportedly responsible for launching multiple attacks on northern Israel during the ongoing conflict. According to an official IDF statement posted on X, he was also involved in efforts to restore and strengthen Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities, which the military described as a clear breach of existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The IDF stated that it would continue to monitor and act against Hezbollah’s efforts to prepare for further hostilities, particularly under the cover of the broader war involving Iran. “We will continue to work to eliminate any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military said.
In a separate operation, the Israeli army reported that it had demolished the home of Samer Hussein, a Hamas-affiliated militant who carried out a shooting attack at the Gitti Avishar intersection in Ariel, West Bank, in November 2024.
The demolition was carried out overnight by engineering forces from the Samaria Brigade in the village of Einabus. Hussein’s attack had targeted a bus and a nearby bus stop, injuring nine individuals — including five Israeli soldiers and four civilians. Three people sustained serious injuries, one was moderately hurt, and five had minor wounds.
According to the IDF, the demolition was carried out as part of its policy of deterrence, which mandates that homes of attackers involved in significant terror operations may be destroyed — regardless of whether fatalities occur.
“The IDF will continue to act to thwart terrorism in Judea and Samaria and to bring to justice terrorists who have acted to harm civilians or security forces,” the statement added.
