JERUSALEM — Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, declared its intention to begin a new phase of combat against Israeli forces on Friday. This announcement follows Israel’s claim that its soldiers had killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader responsible for orchestrating last year’s aggressive attack on Israel which led to the current conflict.
Sinwar’s death occurred during what seemed to be an unplanned encounter with Israeli troops at the front lines, potentially altering the course of the ongoing war in Gaza. This development comes as Israel continues its military actions against Hezbollah along its northern border and maintains aerial strikes in various locations within Lebanon. Both Hamas and Hezbollah receive support from Iran, which has praised Sinwar as a martyr, suggesting that his legacy could galvanize further resistance against Israel.
Israel’s campaign aims to dismantle Hamas as a formidable power in Gaza, and eliminating Sinwar was a critical objective for their military operations. While Hamas has not responded publicly to the announcement regarding Sinwar, there are images purportedly from Israeli forces showing a man believed to be Sinwar, partially buried under debris, sustaining a serious head injury.
In reaction to Sinwar’s reported death, a statement from a Hamas figure based abroad indicated that Israel is gravely mistaken if it thinks that killing its leaders will bring an end to the Palestinian struggle. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau usually located in Qatar, recalled that the organization had previously lost leaders and noted that each time, Hamas emerged stronger and gained more support. He expressed sorrow over the loss of prominent figures, asserting that the group remains confident in their eventual victory. However, he did not explicitly confirm the news of Sinwar’s death.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked in a speech that while the elimination of Sinwar marks a significant event, the conflict is far from over. Many, ranging from Israel’s allied governments to weary civilians in Gaza, hoped that his death might lead to a resolution of the ongoing hostilities. Meanwhile, Iran’s mission to the United Nations praised Sinwar, asserting that his demise occurred in combat rather than hiding, contrasting him with the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who was executed after being captured.
The statement from Iran highlighted the inspirational aspect of Sinwar’s role as a martyr, as opposed to the imagery of Hussein, suggesting that Sinwar’s resistance against Israel could strengthen the morale of those opposing it.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah mentioned that its fighters utilized advanced precision-guided missiles and explosive drones against Israel recently. Notably, the group claimed an explosives-laden drone successfully bypassed Israel’s extensive air defense systems, resulting in an attack on a military training facility inside Israeli territory last weekend, leading to casualties among Israeli soldiers. They also mentioned firing a new missile, named Qader 2, towards Tel Aviv’s suburbs.
Hezbollah indicated that their fighters are executing pre-planned strategies to confront Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. They reported multiple missile and artillery strikes aimed at Israeli troops in border towns, including targeting soldiers attempting to evacuate casualties from prior assaults. The group also claimed to have launched significant missile attacks on military installations in the Golan Heights and around Haifa.
Earlier in the week, Hezbollah’s acting leader warned that the group would widen its attacks across Israel if a ceasefire isn’t established in Lebanon. On the ground, Israeli military reports confirmed the killing of two militants who had infiltrated Israeli territory from Jordan, a relatively uncommon breach since Israel significantly bolstered its border defenses following the Hamas incursion on October 7, 2023. This initial attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, along with the abduction of around 250 individuals. The ongoing military response in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health data, and the conflict has devastated large areas of Gaza, displacing around 90% of its 2.3 million residents.