Hezbollah Engineering Commander Abed Harb Killed in strike, IDF Says
By The Media Line Staff
Israel announced the killing of Abed Harb, the commander of Hezbollah’s engineering unit, on Friday.
According to the Israeli military, Harb was killed in a strike in Lebanon. The military said he oversaw Hezbollah’s engineering unit and was involved in activities targeting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops operating in southern Lebanon.
“Harb commanded the engineering unit that was responsible for assembling and deploying explosives intended to harm IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon,” the military says.
The military also reported that the Israeli Air Force struck a launcher used by Hezbollah to fire rockets at troops in southern Lebanon. The IDF released footage of the operation and said the strike was carried out overnight.
The operations came after Israel’s security cabinet met Thursday to discuss a proposal developed during Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington. The framework would establish security zones in Lebanon without a Hezbollah presence and require the group to withdraw from areas south of the Litani River.
The cabinet did not vote on the proposal after Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected it.
According to participants in the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers that the proposal would not be brought forward for approval unless Hezbollah formally accepted it.
“At the moment there is no agreement,” Netanyahu said, according to participants in the meeting. “Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore I am not bringing it for a decision. If it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”
Earlier Thursday, Qassem denounced both the proposal and the negotiations that produced it.
“The result of the direct, humiliating and disgraceful negotiations is rejected by broad parts of the Lebanese people,” Qassem said.
During the cabinet session, ministers were informed of the death of Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lamberg, an Armored Corps officer killed in southern Lebanon.
According to Ynet, notification of Lamberg’s death strengthened opposition among some ministers to the ceasefire proposal under discussion.
The meeting concluded without a vote, while Israeli military operations in Lebanon continued.
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