Jerusalem: Israel’s military announced on Monday that it had successfully targeted and killed a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon, an area that has seen multiple attacks in spite of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed group. “Yesterday evening (Sunday)… The IDF struck and eliminated Hezbollah terrorist Muhammad Ali Shuweikh in the Mansouri area in southern Lebanon,” the military stated.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the operative was a key Hezbollah representative in the region. He was allegedly responsible for facilitating communication between the militant group and local residents on financial and military matters. The military further accused him of seizing private assets for use in terrorist activities, actions that they claim breached the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed on Sunday that the attack targeted a vehicle in the town of Mansouri, located just over 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Israeli border. The strike reportedly “resulted in the martyrdom of a citizen.” Meanwhile, Lebanon’s National News Agency identified the deceased as a school principal in Mansouri.
The ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was established in November of the previous year, following over a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war in October 2023. Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high at the border, underscored by incidents such as the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon reporting that Israeli soldiers fired at its troops in the south of the country on Sunday. The Israeli military, however, stated that the shots were warning shots directed at two suspects due to “poor weather conditions” and were not intentionally aimed at UN personnel.