IDF says it killed Hezbollah special ops commander in drone strike in south Lebanon
Lebanese health ministry says one killed, three wounded, including child; UN urges investigations into Israeli operations that have killed dozens since November’s ceasefire
An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah commander, the Israel Defense Forces said.
According to the IDF, the strike killed a team commander in Hezbollah’s special operations unit. The IDF did not name the operative, but Lebanese media identified him as Ali Najib Baydoun.
Lebanon’s health ministry said that one person was killed in the strike and three others were wounded, including a child.
Aitaroun is located 2.5 kilometers north of the Israeli border community of Avivim.
The strike came as the United Nations human rights office expressed concern over civilian safety in Lebanon, citing ongoing Israeli military operations that have allegedly continued to cause civilian deaths.
“Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians,” UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said.
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In a report, the UN Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) alleged that Israeli military operations have killed at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and nine children, since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on November 27, 2024. It also said 92,000 Lebanese are still displaced.
According to the IDF, since the ceasefire began more than 120 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in strikes.
The ceasefire agreement formally ended in mid-February; however, both sides have yet to resume large-scale fighting. As part of the agreement, the IDF withdrew its forces from Lebanon but maintained a presence in five strategic points within Lebanese territory.
Before the ceasefire went into effect, Hezbollah launched near-daily rocket, missile, and drone attacks on northern Israel and other areas starting October 8, 2023, one day after Hamas triggered the war in Gaza with its devastating assault on southern Israel.
“Each and every military action where civilians are killed must be investigated,” Al-Kheetan said, adding that “the ceasefire must hold and any escalation is a risk for stability in general in Lebanon, Israel, and the whole region.”
Tuesday’s drone strike followed a series of Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah figures in southern Lebanon.
Last week, the IDF said it killed Muhammad Adnan Mansour, a Hezbollah commander it said was responsible for rocket attacks on northern Israel, in a drone strike on the Lebanese city of Taybeh, near the Israeli border.
Also last week, the IDF said it carried out an airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Zibqin, targeting Hezbollah operatives who were trying to rebuild “terror infrastructure.”
The US has continued to engage regional leaders in efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
In an interview with Lebanese television channel LBCI broadcast on Sunday, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said Washington continued to press Lebanon’s government “to fully fulfill the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias,” adding it should happen “as soon as possible.”
