Mysterious Airstrike Targets ‘Hezbollah’ Position in Syrian Desert

Hezbollah members carry the coffin of top commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in an attack in Syria, during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, May 13, 2016. (Reuters)
Hezbollah members carry the coffin of top commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in an attack in Syria, during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, May 13, 2016. (Reuters)
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Mysterious Airstrike Targets ‘Hezbollah’ Position in Syrian Desert

Hezbollah members carry the coffin of top commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in an attack in Syria, during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, May 13, 2016. (Reuters)
Hezbollah members carry the coffin of top commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in an attack in Syria, during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, May 13, 2016. (Reuters)

“Hezbollah” was dealt a new blow on Monday when at least nine of its members, including a top commander, were killed only two days after 14 party members were killed in an ISIS attack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that a drone struck a “Hezbollah” position in the Syrian desert in eastern Homs, killing 10 of its members and injuring 20 others.

“At least ten members of the Lebanese ‘Hezbollah’ party were killed in airstrikes by unidentified warplanes that targeted a site of the elite forces of ‘Hezbollah’ at dawn on Monday near the 3rd Station east of Palmyra,” the Observatory said.

It added that a field commander of the party’s Elite Force was among the dead.

The number of “Hezbollah” members killed in the past five days in the area extending from the western desert of Deir al-Zour to al-Sukhnah desert and the eastern countryside of Homs, has risen to at least 23.

Later, conflicting reports emerged concerning the identity of the warplane that targeted the party position in the western desert of Deir al-Zour city.

Websites close to the party reported that a US drone targeted the position, but the spokesperson of the US-led Coalition denied the reports, saying the location was outside its area of operations, Reuters reported on Monday.

Three sources familiar with the incident told Reuters that an air strike carried out by an unidentified warplane killed seven “Hezbollah” members in eastern Syria.

The identity of the warplane was not confirmed, but the sources did not rule out the possibility that it was Russian “friendly fire”.

Meanwhile, sources close to “Hezbollah” admitted that commander of its Intervention Unit, Abbas al-Asheq, was killed by land mines planted by ISIS in central Syria.

Abdel-Nasser al-Ayed, a researcher in Syrian military and strategic affairs told Asharq Al-Awsat that the position of the strike is located “outside the operation areas of the Coalition,” adding that US warplanes had long not flown in that area because it is covered by Russian radars.

The researcher speculated that the strike was Russian or Syrian friendly fire because the targeted position is close to where ISIS had advanced in the past couple of days.



Planes from Jordan and UAE Airdrop Humanitarian Aid into Gaza

28 July 2025, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Humanitarian aid supplies are airdropped by military cargo planes over the western part of Deir al-Balah. (dpa)
28 July 2025, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Humanitarian aid supplies are airdropped by military cargo planes over the western part of Deir al-Balah. (dpa)
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Planes from Jordan and UAE Airdrop Humanitarian Aid into Gaza

28 July 2025, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Humanitarian aid supplies are airdropped by military cargo planes over the western part of Deir al-Balah. (dpa)
28 July 2025, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Humanitarian aid supplies are airdropped by military cargo planes over the western part of Deir al-Balah. (dpa)

Two planes from the Jordanian and UAE Air Force airdropped 17 tons of humanitarian aid in Gaza on Monday, Jordan's military said.

The aid packages come as hunger continues to soar across the enclave.

The airdrops took place for the second day as Israel faces increasing pressure over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. However, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, warned that airdrops are “expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians.”

The 17 tons of airdropped aid amounts to less than one aid truck carrying food, based on the World Food Program’s calculation of nearly 19 tons per truck.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that Germany intends to conduct an airlift of humanitarian aid to Gaza along with Jordan. 

Merz didn’t provide details of the plan after a meeting of his security Cabinet, but said his defense minister will consult with France and Britain, “which are also prepared to make available such an airlift for food and medical goods.” Jordan’s King Abdullah II is due to meet Merz in Berlin on Tuesday. 

Merz said Israel’s move to lift some aid restrictions is “an important first step” but “further ones must follow quickly.” He also stressed the need for a comprehensive ceasefire. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain will airdrop 12 tons of food aid into Gaza from Jordan later this week, via Spanish air force planes. 

Sanchez acknowledged this isn’t a solution to hunger, but hopes it offers “minimal relief” alongside aid from other nations. 

Spain’s government has been a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire. 

On Sunday, 180 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza, according to the Israeli military body in charge of overseeing humanitarian aid.

As the death toll from two years of war in Gaza nears 60,000, a growing number of people are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say, with images of starving children shocking the world and fueling international criticism of Israel over sharply worsening conditions.

On Monday, the Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 88 children, most in just the last few weeks.