Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Hezbollah lost two more of its members to Israeli strikes on May 21, as it continues to face pressure from the United States to disarm.
One of the members was killed in a drone strike that targeted the town of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The other, described by the IDF as a commander of the group’s elite Rudwan Force, was killed in a separate strike that targeted the town of Yater, located in the same region.
The deaths brought the number of Hezbollah members killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the heartland of the group, in less than 24 hours to four.
Earlier on May 21, a strike that hit the town Ain Baal killed a man who was described by the IDF as an “experienced engineer of Hezbollah” with knowledge on precision guided missiles. The day before, May 20, a strike on the town of al-Mansouri killed a local commander of the group, according to the military. Nine other people, including two children, were reportedly wounded in the same strike.
The IDF has launched hundreds of strikes against targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and other parts of the country, including the capital Beirut, since the group accepted a ceasefire agreement sponsored by the U.S. last November.
Israel was supposed to halt strikes and completely withdrew from southern Lebanon under the ceasefire, which didn’t happen. Still, Hezbollah showed commitment to the agreement, by dismantling most of its infrastructure in the region and withdrawing its fighters to the north of the Litani River.
The recent deadly Israeli strikes came after Deputy U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said on May 20 that Lebanon had “more” to do to disarm Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government “have done more in the last six months than they probably have in the last 15 years,” Ortagus said at the Qatar Economic Forum referring to efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
“However, there’s a lot more to go,” she added.
The U.S. “have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. And so that doesn’t mean just south of the Litani, that means in the whole country,” Ortagus said, calling on Lebanese politicians “to make a decision.”
Faced with unprecedented military pressure from Israel and political pressure from the U.S., Hezbollah will likely avoid any reaction that could spark a new confrontation.
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israel is a genocidal country
israel cries blame ( insert hasbara label ) to steal and kill . sanctions , boycotts . de funding are good remedies but not enough . free palestine !
its like the nazis demand that the ghetto in warsaw should desarme. russia are pathetic, with our without “nuclear weapon”. they think that a multipolar world are the same as christian genocide of the jews. same idea as adolf hitler rothschild had. fire the satan missiles, or stop threat with them.
it is the zio kiddie killer filth who need to be disarmed.
the white cannibals believe its their occupation of palestine which have made them so successful in genocide. movies like “the hunt for the lost ark”, actually have a great truth; the nazis was, and are, insane christians. because of that, the witch burnings, and nazi germany.