On Monday, Hezbollah announced one of its commanders had been killed in an airstrike carried out by Israel in southern Lebanon, intensifying the likelihood of the Israel-Hamas war leading to a broader conflict in the region.
The slain commander was identified by Hezbollah as Wissam Hassan al-Tawil. According to a Lebanese security official, al-Tawil was an operative in Hezbollah’s Radwan unit, which Israeli intelligence claims is tasked with infiltrating its northern border. A Lebanese security official confirmed that al-Tawil’s unit was a “secretive” force within Hezbollah that patrols along the border of Israel.
Commander al-Tawil was killed in Khirbet Selm, a village less than ten miles from the Israeli border. The Associate Press was informed by a Lebanese security official that al-Tawil was a “senior” commander and that his vehicle was struck by an Israeli airstrike.
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The Associated Press also reports that al-Tawil is the highest-ranking militant in Hezbollah killed since the Israel-Hamas began. While a low-frequency conflict has been going on between Hezbollah and Israel since October 7th, this latest killing risks an escalation in the war that could bring the two belligerents into an all-out hot conflict. Over 130 Hezbollah personnel have been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hamas.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with Middle Eastern leaders this week and attempt to stave off a greater conflict, as a follow-up to his diplomatic tour earlier in the fall.
A Lebanese security officer told Reuters that “things will flare up now” because it was “a very painful strike.”
Last week, Hezbollah secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against waging an all-out war on its forces. “Whoever thinks of war with us—in one word, he will regret it,” he said.
Related: Hezbollah Leader Says War with Israel is a Possibility in First Speech
Watch Patrick Bet-David explain the differences between Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS below, or read a text version of the article here.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).
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