Israeli military says it killed a ‘significant’ Hezbollah commander in air strike

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT – The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah commander in an air strike on a vehicle in Lebanon on March 31, identifying him as Ismail Al-Zin, a commander in the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.

“Al-Zin was a significant source of knowledge regarding anti-tank missiles and was responsible for dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities and security forces,” the Israeli military said.

A source close to Hezbollah said Al-Zin was not a senior figure but confirmed that he was in its elite Radwan unit.

Israel has

now killed about 25 members of the unit,

including at least three commanders, among them senior Hezbollah officer Wissam Tawil, who played a leading role in directing the unit’s operations in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct 8, 2023, in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also killed about 50 civilians, including children, medics and journalists, and hit both Unifil – the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon – and the Lebanese army.

The United States and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza. REUTERS