A Hezbollah Military Commander Killed in Drone Attack Attributed to Israel

On Thursday, February 8, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Lebanese and Arab media, that in an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle in the Nabatieh region of Lebanon, 'Abbas al-Dabis', a military commander of Hezbollah, known by the nickname 'Haj Abdullah', was killed. Al-Arabiya reported that the targeted vehicle in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, had three occupants, one of whom was killed and two others were injured. According to the Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath, Abbas al-Dabis had participated in the construction of the Islamic Republic's air defense systems in Syria. The Israeli army has not yet claimed responsibility for this drone attack. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post noted that three Israeli soldiers were injured in missile attacks by Hezbollah on areas in northern Israel on the same Thursday, with one of their conditions being critical. Israeli fighter jets also responded to these attacks by targeting Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and a military compound of the group in southern Lebanon, from where missile attacks on Israel had been launched. The exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel occurred while the Israeli army continues its operations in the west of Khan Younis, in addition to the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip. In this context, the Israeli army stated that 'several terrorists involved in the massacre of October 7 have been successfully captured or killed.' Militants from the Hamas group, supported by the Islamic Republic, killed at least 1,200 people in the October 7 attack on Israel and took more than 250 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, with around 130 hostages still remaining in Gaza. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. The war in Gaza continues as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday, February 7, after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called Hamas's three-phase plan, which includes the release of hostages, 'delusional.' He stated that Israel would continue the war, adding that victory is within reach and only a few months remain until achieving it. In this context, Mr. Blinken described Hamas's conditions as non-negotiable but stated that there is space for work. U.S. President Joe Biden also remarked that Hamas's demands are 'a bit much,' but negotiations continue.