Mohammed Qassem al-Shaer, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, has been reported killed today in an Israeli drone strike on his motorcycle near Qararoun in the Western Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon.
This was one of multiple Israeli strikes on Tuesday, with attacks also reported in southern Lebanon, including an attack on Nabatieh, which the Lebanese Health Ministry reported wounded at least eight people.
Two bystanders were reported injured in the Qararoun strike, and other strikes were reported against Houla, Juayya, Wadi Jilo and Mahrouna, according to the Lebanese national news. Israel only confirmed it had carried out the attack on Qararoun, referring to the slain commander as a “field commander.”
Attacks against Lebanon have been taking place almost daily in recent months, an escalation of the tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Hezbollah that have been ongoing since October. There is growing international concern that the escalation will lead to a full-scale Israeli invasion.
The conflict in Lebanon is increasingly tied to the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, with hawkish Israeli MP Benny Gantz suggesting that Israel should invade Lebanon if the ongoing Gaza prisoner exchange deal is not reached. He has been advocating an invasion of Lebanon for months, complaining recently that they are “late” on starting the war.
Today’s attacks comes just days after Saturday’s attack on Lebanon, which killed three paramedics. Despite multiple sources stating the three killed were civilian rescue workers, Israel declared them to be “terrorists.”
