The Israeli military said on Sunday that another top Hezbollah official was killed in an airstrike as the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah reeled from the killing of its overall leader, Hassanal Nasrallah, and other devastating blows. The Israeli military said Nabil Kauk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s central council, was killed on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. Also, there is no information about where the attack took place. In recent weeks, Israeli attacks have killed several senior commanders, including founding members of Hezbollah, who have eluded death and capture for decades. Among those killed were people close to Nasrallah. Hezbollah was targeted in sophisticated attacks on its pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel was widely blamed for the attack.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 1,030 people, including 156 women and 87 children, were killed in Sayam in less than two weeks due to Israeli air strikes in large areas of Lebanon. Due to recent attacks, millions of people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes. Environment Minister Nasir Yasin said that the government estimates that about 250,000 people are in shelters. Three to four times more people are staying with friends or relatives or camping on the road. Hezbollah also fired rockets and missiles into northern Israel, but most were intercepted or fell in open areas. This has caused some casualties and general damage in northern Israel.
Kauk was an experienced member of Hezbollah since the 1980s. He served as Hezbollah’s military commander in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel. He often appeared in local media and commented on politics and security developments. He also used to pay homage at the funerals of senior fighters. The US announced sanctions against him in 2020.
After the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel after the war in Gaza began. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies of the Iran-backed ‘Axis of Resistance’ against Israel. Israel has responded with airstrikes, and fears of a region-wide conflict have grown as the conflict has escalated into an all-out war. Israel has said it is committed to bringing back some 60,000 of its citizens, who were evacuated from communities in the north about a year ago. Hezbollah has said that it will stop its rocket fire only if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Despite months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas led by the US, Qatar and Egypt, a ceasefire has not yet been possible.Â
