The Israeli military announced on Tuesday morning that it had killed Souheil Hussein Husseini, the head of Hezbollah’s General Staff, in an airstrike targeting a location in Beirut. According to the military’s press office, the Israeli Air Force’s strike resulted in Husseini’s death. Husseini was responsible for logistics, arms supplies from Iran, and the distribution of weapons to Hezbollah units.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee indicated that Husseini played a key role in arms transfer agreements between Iran and Hezbollah, smuggling and distributing weapons throughout Lebanon. He was also a member of Hezbollah’s “Jihad Council,” managing budgets, logistics, and operational plans, including orchestrating attacks on Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
In addition, the Israeli army announced that it would soon conduct military operations on the southern coast of Lebanon, urging fishermen and beachgoers in the Nahr al-Ouali area to stay away from the shoreline until further notice. The army also declared four northern areas as closed military zones, effective from Monday evening, prohibiting entry into these regions.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department assessed that Israel’s ground operations in Lebanon remain limited. Washington expects Israel to target Hezbollah while adhering to international humanitarian law to minimize civilian casualties. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that resolving Lebanon’s political crisis is the responsibility of Lebanese leaders, not the United States.
In retaliation, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv after Israeli airstrikes hit southern Beirut. The group stated that several rockets were fired at the Glilot base of the “8200 Military Intelligence Unit” in response to Israel’s strikes. The Israeli army confirmed that its Iron Dome intercepted some of the five rockets launched from southern Lebanon, with the remainder landing in open areas.
Hezbollah also carried out several attacks on military positions in northern Israel, including one near the city of Haifa, which resulted in 10 Israeli injuries. The group instructed its fighters to avoid targeting Israeli forces near the UN peacekeeping base in the border town of Maroun al-Ras, accusing Israel of using peacekeepers as human shields.
Israeli airstrikes have displaced 1.2 million people in Lebanon. Many fear Lebanon could face widespread destruction as the Israeli bombardment intensifies, similar to the devastation seen in Gaza. Although the Israeli military describes its ground operations as “limited and precise,” their scope has steadily expanded since last week. The military insists that its goal is to clear border areas of Hezbollah fighters, with no plans for a deeper incursion into Lebanon.
