An Israeli strike on south Lebanon today killed a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, escalating fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could trigger the spread of more violence across the region.

Wissam Hassan Tawil, the deputy head of a unit within the Radwan force, died alongside another Hezbollah fighter when their car, a Honda SUV, was targeted in a strike on the Lebanese village of Majdal Selm. 

He was the highest-ranking Hezbollah member to be killed since Israel and the Lebanese group began exchanging cross-border fire following Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

Hezbollah confirmed the killing this afternoon, saying he died ‘on the road to Jerusalem’ – the phrase used for fighters killed by Israel, with Lebanese security sources describing the attack as ‘a very painful strike’ that will cause a ‘flare-up’. 

It comes as Israel warned ‘another war’ may break out in the embattled Middle East after Hezbollah struck an Israeli air traffic control base this weekend.

The attack on the base on Mount Meron on Saturday was one of several rocket barrages of northern Israel by the Iran-backed Hezbollah, forcing tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate communities along the border. 

This latest eruption of more intense hostilities follows another IDF strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut last week which killed Hamas‘ deputy political leader, Saleh al-Arouri.

In the wake of that attack, Hezbollah’s secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel in two televised addresses not to launch a full-scale war on Lebanon. ‘Whoever thinks of war with us – in one word, he will regret it,’ Nasrallah said.

Read More Here