Katz says top Hezbollah man killed, over 1 million evacuate south Lebanon and Beirut

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the IDF killed a Hezbollah regional division commander in an airstrike overnight, and that over a million Lebanese civilians have adhered to Israeli evacuation warnings.

According to the defense minister’s office, during an assessment at the IDF Northern Command, Katz was informed that 650,000 Lebanese have evacuated Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known Hezbollah stronghold, and another 500,000 have left southern Lebanon.

The IDF ordered evacuation warnings for the entire south of Lebanon and four major neighborhoods in Beirut’s south in recent days, ahead of strikes on Hezbollah.

“In addition, the minister was updated on the elimination of the commander of Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit, Abu Hussein Ra’ab, during an IDF strike earlier tonight,” Katz’s office says.

The Nasr unit is one of three Hezbollah regional divisions in southern Lebanon. It is responsible for the area between Mount Dov and the Bint Jbeil area.

“Not only will we not withdraw in the face of Hezbollah, but we will take advantage of the opportunity to strike it and exact a price from it. We have an opportunity to bring very, very great security,” Katz says, according to remarks provided by his office.