Israel Targets Hezbollah's Leadership, Operatives

Rubble at the site of an Israeli air strike near Baalbek, the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 26 February 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Rubble at the site of an Israeli air strike near Baalbek, the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 26 February 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Israel Targets Hezbollah's Leadership, Operatives

Rubble at the site of an Israeli air strike near Baalbek, the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 26 February 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Rubble at the site of an Israeli air strike near Baalbek, the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 26 February 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

The Israeli military's Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Monday that Israel launched raids on complexes used by Hezbollah’s air defense unit in the Bekaa, in response to the firing of surface-to-air missiles at a Zik drone.

Arab World Press quoted Adraee as saying on social media that the army “will continue to protect Israel and operate in Lebanese airspace against Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah responded by firing 60 rockets at an Israeli army headquarters in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Israeli military also announced launching raids aimed at Hezbollah installations situated in southern Lebanon. This action comes amidst reports from Lebanese sources detailing the loss of four lives, with Hezbollah acknowledging the death of two of its associates.

Adraee asserted that Hezbollah entered the conflict against Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, jeopardizing Lebanon, its people, and regional stability.

He highlighted continuous attacks on Israeli territory since October 8, along with repeated attempts to target Israeli and allied aircraft within Lebanese airspace.

Adraee emphasized Israel's proactive measures to safeguard its borders, noting recent strikes against numerous "Hezbollah operatives" across southern Lebanon.

He elaborated that Israel's operations have specifically focused on hitting Hezbollah's strategic assets, including military compounds and terrorist infrastructure spread across southern Lebanon, notably in Aita al-Shaab and other locations.

Recent days have witnessed a series of precision strikes, directly targeting Hezbollah's leadership, operatives, and military installations.

Furthermore, Adraee emphasized the proactive stance of Israeli forces along the Lebanese border, characterizing their actions as “defensive measures” aimed at thwarting Hezbollah's attempts to inflict harm on Israeli military personnel, civilians, and communities.



Blinken Says Syria's HTS Should Learn from Taliban Isolation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement to the press after the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement to the press after the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
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Blinken Says Syria's HTS Should Learn from Taliban Isolation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement to the press after the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement to the press after the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Wednesday on Syria's triumphant HTS opposition group to follow through on promises of inclusion, saying it can learn a lesson from the isolation of Afghanistan's Taliban.
The movement supported by Türkiye has promised to protect minorities since its lightning offensive toppled strongman Bashar al-Assad this month following years of stalemate, AFP reported.
"The Taliban projected a more moderate face, or at least tried to, in taking over Afghanistan, and then its true colors came out. The result is it remains terribly isolated around the world," Blinken said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
After some initial overtures to the West, the Taliban reimposed strict restrictions including barring women and girls from secondary school and university.
"So if you're the emerging group in Syria," Blinken said, "if you don't want that isolation, then there's certain things that you have to do in moving the country forward."
Blinken called for a "non-sectarian" Syrian government that protects minorities and addresses security concerns, including keeping the fight against the ISIS group and removing lingering chemical weapons stockpiles.
Blinken said that HTS can also learn lessons from Assad on the need to reach a political settlement with other groups.
"Assad's utter refusal to engage in any kind of political process is one of the things that sealed his downfall," Blinken said.