JERUSALEM, BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on a vehicle in Lebanon on Sunday, identifying him as Ismail Al-Zin, a commander in the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces.
“Al-Zin was a significant source of knowledge regarding anti-tank missiles and was responsible for dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities and security forces,” the Israeli military said.
A source close to Hezbollah said Al-Zin was not a senior figure but confirmed he was in its elite Radwan unit.
Israel has now killed around 25 members of the unit, including at least three commanders, such as Wissma Tawil, a senior Hezbollah officer who played a leading role in directing its operations in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also killed around 50 civilians – including children, medics and journalists – and hit both UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.
The U.S. and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.
(Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Suleiman al Khalidi, Editing by Louise Heavens and Sharon Singleton)
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