Tel Aviv, Israel – The Israeli military announced Wednesday that it targeted Hussein Ali Touma, a Hezbollah logistics officer, on October 14. The military described his activities as a violation of understandings between Israel and Lebanon. It asserted that Touma was working to transfer weapons to rebuild the group’s military capabilities.
The southern Lebanese border is witnessing a marked escalation following a series of assassinations targeting prominent Hezbollah figures. This comes amid indications of a potential wider escalation of the confrontation with Israel.
The escalation also included a confrontation between Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This followed an Israeli drone dropping a grenade on a UNIFIL patrol near the settlement of Kfarkela, though no injuries were reported. UNIFIL, for its part, announced that it had shot down an Israeli drone during a routine surveillance mission in the same area.
This escalation comes as Israel maintains its military presence at five strategic points in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement that went into effect in November 2014. Lebanon has categorically rejected these attacks.
