Israel escalates operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah

Israel’s military has eliminated Suhail Hussein Husseini, the commander of the Hezbollah headquarters who oversees budget and logistics within Iran’s largest militia, as it expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah and was also a member of the Jihad council, Hezbollah's senior military leadership council, said the Israeli military.

He is the latest target in an airstrike against the group's top leadership within Iran’s most powerful proxy, positioned on Israel’s northern border and designated as a terrorist organization by countries such as the US and UK.

The headquarters which was targeted includes Hezbollah's Research and Development Unit, which is responsible for manufacturing precision-guided missiles and managing the storage and transportation of weapons in Lebanon.

“In his role, Husseini was responsible for the budgeting and logistical management of Hezbollah's most sensitive projects, including the organization's war plans and other special operations, such as coordinating terrorist attacks against the State of Israel from Lebanon and Syria,” the IDF said.

The announcement of the latest killing comes as Israel expanded its ground operations into southern Lebanon on Monday.

While Israel tries to allow the safe return of the 63,000 Israelis displaced since October 8 last year, the 146th Division began “limited, localized, targeted operational activities against Hezbollah terror targets and infrastructure in southwestern Lebanon”, the military said, adding that it “follows a year of defensive activities conducted by the 146th Division on Israel's northwestern border with Lebanon”.

Hezbollah began almost daily bombardments into Israel the day after Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, in allegiance with the group. Since then, tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border have been displaced, and dozens killed. Around 9,000 projectiles have been launched at Israel since the fighting broke out.

The 146th Division is the first reserve division to operate in southern Lebanon as part of the ongoing operations against Hezbollah, so far, troops all being those in active duty.

The soldiers are operating alongside the 213th Artillery Brigade and additional forces now as the conflict continues to escalate from both ground and air.

On Tuesday, Israel's elite Golani brigade took control of a combat compound in southern Lebanon, overlooking border communities in northern Israel.

The site in the Maroun el Ras area included a residential building and an olive grove, where a launcher, loaded and ready to fire was found, according to the military.

"Additionally, underground infrastructure, terrorist hideouts, living quarters, and staging areas used by Hezbollah terrorists were identified. Inside the residential building, a staging area and a stockpile of weapons were located and destroyed, including guns, camouflage nets, military vests, and anti-tank missiles, as well as launchers hidden in the kitchen," the IDF statement said.

Hezbollah, which currently does not have a general secretary, announced that it will continue to resist Israel.

As the U.S. continues its efforts to mediate the now multi-front proxy war ignited by Hamas’ invasion, with Iran’s proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria also targeting Israel, CIA chief William Burns told CBS News that while US intelligence assesses that neither Israel nor Iran seeks an “all-out conflict,” the risk of miscalculation remains high.

He warned: “We face the very real danger of a further regional escalation of conflict” while Israel is “weighing very carefully” how it will respond to last week’s attack from Iran, which saw 181 ballistic missiles rain down on the country, the second direct strike since the shadow war between the archenemies began decades ago.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state media: "Our dialogue continues in regards to the developments in the region to prevent the shameless crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Lebanon in continuation of the crimes in Gaza.

“Starting today I'll start a trip to the region, to Riyadh and other capitals in the region and we will strive to have a collective movement from the countries of the region... to stop the brutal attacks in Lebanon."

Meanwhile, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said on Tuesday that the group had moved beyond "painful blows" inflicted by Israel after weeks of high-level assassinations which reached leader Hassan Nasrallah, and strikes against key military targets.

Speaking on Press TV, he said the group was unharmed, the senior figures killed only "from the older generation" of founding fathers, suggesting they will be easily replaced by the next generation. A new secretary general will be elected in due course, he said.

In spite of the killings of swathes of the leadership, "there is no empty position," he said. "There is no fear that the work continues."

Last month, over 1,500 operatives were taken out of action by a movie-like plot, not acknowledged by Israel, which, over two days saw pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the group, explode across Lebanon.