Israel Claims Killing of High-Ranking Hezbollah Commander Nabil Kaouk
The Israeli Army released an unlikely statement on Sunday evening saying it had assassinated a major Hezbollah figure — Nabil Kaouk. This strike follows a day after the IDF announced they killed another top figure, Hassan Nasrallah–the Secretary General of Hezbollah. The situation involves the following points:-
Who Was Nabil Kaouk?
The leadership of Nabil Kaouk had a major impact on the filling out of different key areas for Hezbollah. He was in charge of Hezbollah’s Preventative Security Unit and sat on the organization’s executive council. He was also in charge of Hezbollah operations in southern Lebanon and served as de facto leader of the operational council.
Kaouk was portrayed by the IDF as a confidant of Hezbollah’s top echelon, which said he took part in planning and perpetrating terrorist attacks. Last year, he was designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for supporting Hezbollah’s activities, which undermined U.S. interests and its partners.
How Did Israel Target Kaouk?
An X post declared that the IDF carried out a “precise strike” on Kaouk and killed him in an airstrike. The Israeli strike targeted the town of Aita al-Chaab on the margins of Beirut, and Hezbollah later released a statement confirming he was killed.
The Death of Hassan Nasrallah
The day before Kaouk was killed, the Israel media said that Hassan Nasrallah had died. Months earlier, Israeli forces had followed closely on the moves of Nasrallah himself before striking Hezbollah’s central headquarters in southern Beirut. Nasrallah had a reputation for being an enthusiastic supporter of Hamas attacks on the Zionist state, and particularly the infamous strike of October 7, 2023.
In 2010 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Nasrallah as “the terrorist” and said, “Nasrallah is not hiding a bank account with the $11 billion he supposedly embezzled because every shekel of it was invested in terror. As long as Nasrallah was alive he would have rebuilt the capacity of Hezbollah to start overrowing-regenerated, Netanyahu said.
Regional Tensions Escalate
Iran condemned the strike as “outrageous” after Nasrallah was killed, saying it “will not go unanswered.” Iran has also alleged the US is aiding in the attack. The killing of these two high-profile Hezbollah commanders has increased the expectations for wider regional warfare.
The Israel-Hamas war spiraled on October 7, 2023 into regular cross-border strikes between Hezbollah and Israel. More than half a million people fled the south in 1999 during Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which chased them away from their homes and killed many.
After Hezbollah, Victory in the Palestinian Camp, What Now?
If Nabil Kaouk and Hassan Nasrallah are to die, it will fundamentally alter the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The loss of key leaders may hurt their operational capacity, but it is unclear how Hezbollah has responded to the targeting errors. One thing is for certain: The region is on pins and needles, with potential escalation very much still in the cards.
Currently, Israel is still attacking Hezbollah related sites with airstrikes and we can expect a response from Hezbollah as well somewhere down the line… Sparking another long drawn war in Lebanon and beyond.