**Israel Strikes Vehicle in Southern Lebanon, Killing Hezbollah Member**
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the assassinations of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburb, and the subsequent threats of retaliation against Israel, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle on the Bazouriyeh road in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to Al Arabiya’s correspondent.
Israel also conducted airstrikes on the towns of Tair Harfa and central Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon. In retaliation, Hezbollah launched rockets toward the western Galilee.
Separately, an Israeli drone struck a vehicle on the Damascus-Beirut highway near the Zabadani area, causing smoke to billow and resulting in the death of an occupant, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
**Assassination of Hezbollah Member**
The Israeli military announced the assassination of a Hezbollah member on the Bazouriyeh road. Its spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated on the “X” platform that an Israeli Air Force drone eliminated Ali Nazih Abdul Ali, a key terrorist figure in Hezbollah’s southern front.
Adraee added that Ali Nazih Abdul Ali was involved in terrorist activities on the southern front and participated in planning and executing a variety of operations.
Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, Hezbollah and Israel have engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border, raising fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East. These fears have intensified following the assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukr this week.
**Assassination of Haniyeh**
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on Wednesday the killing of Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard at his residence in Tehran after attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s reformist President Masoud Bazshkian.
According to Iranian media, Haniyeh was at one of the veterans’ residences in northern Tehran when he was killed by an “aerial projectile” around 2 a.m. (22:30 GMT Tuesday).
However, the American newspaper The New York Times reported, citing eight officials, including two Iranians, that Haniyeh was killed by a secretly smuggled explosive device at the guest house where he was staying. Five regional officials indicated that the bomb had been hidden for about two months in the guest house managed and guarded by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, part of a large complex known as “Neshat” in an upscale district in northern Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed “severe punishment” against Israel following the assassination. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared that “retaliation is inevitable,” though Tel Aviv has made no official statement regarding the assassination.
**Assassination of Shukr**
Hours before the Tehran attack, the Israeli military announced that it had killed Fouad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburb, who was accused of responsibility for a rocket attack that killed 12 teenagers on Saturday in the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
A source close to Hezbollah confirmed on Wednesday that Shukr’s body was found under the rubble of the targeted building in the southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the Majdal Shams attack.
Shukr’s assassination dealt a significant blow and indicated a major security breach for Hezbollah, especially as he was killed in Beirut’s southern suburb, specifically in the Haret Hreik area, considered the security hub of the party.
Israel and the United States are reportedly preparing for an imminent Iranian retaliatory strike against Israel this week, with the latter placing its military on high alert, while U.S. officials ready their military teams, according to The Wall Street Journal.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚