The Israeli military said they killed a Hezbollah drone commander, Mohammed Hussein Surour aka Abu Saleh, in an airstrike on an apartment building in the Beirut suburbs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon and said that Israel will continue striking Hezbollah “with full force” until its goals are achieved. Netanyahu’s remarks come as Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit Mohammad Hussein Srour.
Massive red alerts were issued in Tel Aviv early on Friday amid fears of a large-scale missile attack from Yemen. Israeli authorities said that sirens were heard after Sana’a launched a missile. However, the IDF later added that it had successfully intercepted the rocket.
“The missile that was fired from Yemen was successfully intercepted by the ‘Arrow’ Aerial Defense System. Sirens and explosions were heard following the interception and falling shrapnel,” the IDF statement said.
Netanyahu Vows To Continue Offensive
As he landed in New York to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting, Netanyahu said that Israel’s “policy is clear.” “We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes.”
The remarks come as U.S. and European officials were pressing for a 21-day halt in fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to give time for negotiations.
Hezbollah Drone Commander Killed In Airstrike
The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah drone commander, Mohammed Hussein Surour aka Abu Saleh, in an airstrike on an apartment building in the Beirut suburbs. “Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah’s Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut,” said IDF in a post on X.
Earier, top Hezbollah commanders like Ibrahim Qubaisi, Ibrahim Aqil, Fuad Shukr, Mohammed Nasser and Taleb Abdallah have been killed in Israeli strikes.
US’ Ceasefire Plan
Amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Lebanon, the United States has called for a 21 day ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border to prevent an escalation of war and give diplomacy a chance there and in Gaza.
Voicing their support for this plan are US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III, British Defence Secretary John Healey, and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who met in London on Thursday at the AUKUS defence ministerial meeting, the Pentagon said in a press release.
“The situation in Lebanon and northern Israel is deeply troubling. Lebanese Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group, began firing rockets into Israel in an unprovoked attack the day after the October 7, 2023, terrorist assault by Hamas,” Austin said.
Calling for an immediate ceasefire, Austin added, “An immediate 21-day ceasefire will provide time for the diplomacy needed to achieve a durable arrangement that will allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return safely to their homes. This time can also be used to conclude and implement a deal to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and to bring all of the hostages home.”