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Hezbollah rocket chief killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike late Wednesday night killed a Hezbollah commander in the southern Lebanese town of Barish, The Times of Israel reported. The target was Yassin Izz a-Din, commander of Hezbollah's rocket artillery unit operating in the Litani River sector. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Izz a-Din was responsible for numerous rocket attacks on northern Israel during the ongoing conflict and was actively attempting to restore Hezbollah's artillery operations. The IDF described his role as a 'blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon". Hezbollah's silence amid Israel-Iran conflict Despite heightened hostilities between Israel and Iran since last week, Tehran's allied militias — particularly Hezbollah — have so far remained inactive. Hezbollah, considered one of the most powerful non-state military forces in the region, has not launched attacks on Israeli positions in southern Lebanon or issued any threats of retaliation. This absence marks a stark contrast to expectations following Israel's offensive against Iran, which many anticipated would prompt a Hezbollah response. The group's restraint follows months of Israeli military operations that reportedly decimated Hezbollah's leadership and weapons stockpiles in 2024. Former chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in September 2024, after which Naim Qasem assumed leadership. Qasem has pledged loyalty to Iran and vowed Israel's defeat, but Hezbollah's current silence suggests a strategic pause, consistent with Tehran's defensive doctrine of leveraging allied groups without direct escalation. Meanwhile, the scale of Israel's recent campaign in Iran continues to grow. At least 639 people have been killed and 1,329 wounded in Israeli strikes across Iran, according to new data from Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based rights organisation. The group said the dead include 263 civilians and 154 members of Iranian security forces. Iran has not provided consistent casualty figures but said in its last update on Monday that 224 had been killed and 1,277 injured. The toll reflects the intensity of Israel's strikes following its assault on Iran's nuclear and military sites on June 13, which was launched under 'Operation Rising Lion' in response to previous Iranian threats and proxy activity.