Breaking rule of ambiguity, minister says Israel behind killing of senior Hezbollah commander

Likud MK Israel Katz speaks at a conference organized by the Makor Rishon newspaper at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, February 21, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90/ File)
Likud MK Israel Katz speaks at a conference organized by the Makor Rishon newspaper at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, February 21, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90/ File)

Foreign Minister Israel Katz says Israel was behind the strike in southern Lebanon earlier today that killed Wissam al-Tawil, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force.

“Regarding the attack in southern Lebanon, yes, we did take responsibility for the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force,” Katz tells the far-right Channel 14 network, which corrects him for saying Quds Force instead of Radwan force.

“This is part of the war,” says Katz.

Until then, no Israeli official had announced that the IDF was behind the killing, even if it was widely understood to be the case.

Israel typically prefers to maintain a policy of ambiguity regarding its alleged operations abroad and the new foreign minister makes a point of saying that Israel has not taken public responsibility for the strike last week that killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.

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