Hezbollah Threatens Retaliation Against Israel for Assassination

Israel 'Happy' About Killing But Denies Blame

According to a report in a Lebanese newspaper, Hezbollah is blaming Israel for the assassination of top commander Hassan al-Lakkis, saying that they will retaliate for the killing.

Lakkis was assassinated in Beirut Wednesday, shot by an unidentified gunman. A previously unknown faction calling itself the Brigades of the Free Sunnis of Baalbak claimed the killing, but security officials said the assassination bore the hallmarks of an Israeli hit.

Israeli officials said they were “happy” with the assassination of Lakkis, who they had unsuccessfully tried to kill multiple times in the past. They insist, however, that this time it really wasn’t them.

The Sunni faction that claimed credit for the killing suggested the killing was linked to the Syrian Civil War, and while spillover from them is nothing new, Israel’s long history of targeted killings means suspicion will continue to be on them in the absence of real evidence.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.