Hezbollah confirms the deaths of veteran member Nabil Kaouk and senior commander Ali Karaki; Sunday’s strikes in Lebanon resulted in over 50 deaths and dozens injured, while Israel reports at least 20 Hezbollah militants killed in Friday’s airstrike.
Two days after the assassination of Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel continued its airstrikes on Lebanon, launching extensive operations well into Sunday evening. Israel reported that it had targeted nearly 120 Hezbollah positions during the strikes. Following the first wave of attacks, the Israeli military confirmed it had killed Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, in a strike on Saturday.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 24 people, hitting two adjacent buildings east of Sidon, a southern Lebanese city. In Baalbek-Hermel, a separate strike resulted in 21 deaths and at least 47 injuries. Additionally, four more people were killed in a raid on Joub Jenin in the Bekaa Valley. These consecutive airstrikes, particularly the ones targeting Ain el-Delb, a neighborhood east of Sidon, were captured on camera by local residents.
Hezbollah officially confirmed the death of Nabil Kaouk, marking him as the seventh senior Hezbollah figure to be killed by Israeli strikes in just over a week. Among those slain were founding members of Hezbollah who had long avoided death or capture over the decades.
Kaouk, a veteran member of Hezbollah since the 1980s, was a key figure within the organization. He notably served as the group’s military commander in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel. Kaouk was also a prominent voice in Lebanese media, often commenting on security and political issues. His influence within Hezbollah was significant, as he frequently delivered eulogies at the funerals of high-ranking militants. In 2020, the United States imposed sanctions against him due to his role within the organization.
Hezbollah also confirmed that another senior commander, Ali Karaki, was killed in a separate Israeli airstrike on Friday, the same strike that reportedly killed Nasrallah. The Israeli military revealed that Karaki was killed in an underground compound in Beirut, where Nasrallah and other Hezbollah leaders had been meeting. According to Israeli sources, at least 20 other Hezbollah militants were killed during that operation, including two close associates of Nasrallah.
Hezbollah has been under sustained attack by Israeli forces, with various sophisticated methods targeting its infrastructure, including electronic attacks on its communication devices, such as pagers and walkie-talkies. These disruptions were widely believed to be orchestrated by Israel. In less than two weeks, Israeli airstrikes have caused significant damage and destruction across large parts of Lebanon, with over 1,030 people reported dead so far.
The escalation in violence follows an already tense situation in the region, with Israel determined to cripple Hezbollah’s military and leadership capabilities. Israel’s focus on targeting high-ranking Hezbollah figures, along with strategic military positions, is part of a broader effort to weaken the organization’s influence and prevent further threats to Israeli security. The assassination of Nasrallah and the elimination of key commanders like Nabil Kaouk and Ali Karaki signal a calculated effort by Israel to decapitate Hezbollah’s leadership structure.
For Hezbollah, the loss of these senior figures represents a significant blow. Many of these leaders had been instrumental in shaping the organization’s military strategies and political influence over the years. Nabil Kaouk, for example, was seen as one of Hezbollah’s most experienced military tacticians, with deep ties to the group’s operations in southern Lebanon. His death, along with the killing of other founding members, will likely impact Hezbollah’s operational capabilities in the short term.
However, Hezbollah is expected to respond aggressively to these targeted strikes. Historically, the group has demonstrated resilience and an ability to adapt, even in the face of significant losses. Despite Israel’s attempts to destabilize the organization, Hezbollah maintains a deep-rooted support base in Lebanon, particularly in the southern regions, and its retaliation could lead to further escalation in the conflict.
The broader implications of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could be far-reaching. Lebanon, already facing political and economic turmoil, is at risk of descending further into chaos as the violence escalates. The civilian death toll continues to rise, and large parts of the country have been devastated by the relentless airstrikes. The international community has expressed concern over the growing humanitarian crisis, with calls for an immediate ceasefire and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Israel, on the other hand, insists that its military operations are aimed at ensuring national security and preventing future attacks from Hezbollah. The strikes are part of a broader effort to neutralize threats from groups like Hezbollah, which Israel views as proxies for Iran in the region. While Israel has achieved tactical victories in recent days, including the killing of several senior Hezbollah figures, the long-term success of its strategy remains uncertain. Hezbollah’s deep entrenchment in Lebanon and its ability to regroup and retaliate means that the conflict is far from over.
As the situation unfolds, both sides appear to be bracing for more confrontations. Hezbollah, despite the losses, may seek to galvanize its supporters and regroup for future attacks, while Israel is likely to continue its military operations to dismantle the group’s infrastructure. For the people of Lebanon, the conflict has brought nothing but devastation, with no end in sight to the violence that has engulfed the region.
