Reports of the Death of Hezbollah's Last Senior Commander; Israel: Preparing for Next Phases of Operations in Lebanon

As Israel intensifies its attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, reports have emerged regarding the targeting of Ali Karaki, one of the highest-ranking officials of Hezbollah and the last remaining senior military commander of the group supported by the Islamic Republic. On Monday, Reuters reported, citing a security source, that Ali Karaki has been targeted by Israeli attacks. According to this report published on Monday, October 2, there is still no information on Ali Karaki's fate. However, Hezbollah has denied the news of Karaki's death on its Telegram channel, stating that he is alive and in a safe location. Following the deaths of Ibrahim Aqil and Fouad Shakir, Ali Karaki is considered the only remaining individual among Hezbollah's senior commanders. Thus, with the targeting and possible death of him, Hezbollah would effectively lose all its top-level commanders. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, stated on Monday that the Israeli army is targeting the "combat infrastructure" that Hezbollah has built over the past 20 years. He described this operation as "very important" and said, "We are attacking targets and preparing for the next phases." Additionally, the Israeli army claimed to have attacked "more than 150 Hezbollah targets" in Lebanon that morning. Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, also stated on Monday that Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have destroyed "tens of thousands of missiles and precision munitions" belonging to Hezbollah. He added that the Israeli army is destroying what Hezbollah has built over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that due to escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States is sending more troops to the Middle East. Major General Patrick Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters on Monday that the U.S. is sending "a few" additional military personnel as a precaution to bolster forces in the region. The Pentagon spokesperson also referred to the direct missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic on Israel last April, which resulted in only minor damages inside Israel due to interceptions by U.S., British, and other regional allies' air defenses, adding that "our current capabilities in the region" are greater than when the Islamic Republic's attacks were executed. Major General Ryder emphasized, "The totality of these capabilities provides us options to protect our forces in the event of an attack." The Biden administration has been seeking to prevent escalation in Gaza since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas while simultaneously calling for a diplomatic resolution to the border crisis between Israel and Lebanon. As Israeli military operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon intensify and the likelihood of the conflict spreading to other parts of the region increases, Lufthansa announced on Monday that it is suspending flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran until October 15 and flights to Beirut until October 27. The Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority also announced on Monday that it is suspending flights of its airlines to Beirut until further notice. On the same day, Israel conducted its largest wave of airstrikes, targeting hundreds of Hezbollah positions and warning citizens to evacuate areas where Hezbollah's weapon depots are located. Israeli President stated that Hezbollah is armed to the teeth by Iran's "evil empire." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday, called on his citizens to remain "united" as the military operation against Hezbollah intensified. After visiting a military base in Tel Aviv and assessing the field situation, he stated, "I promised to change the security balance, the balance of power, in the north... and that is exactly what we are doing." Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, stated that Israel is deepening its attacks in Lebanon and that these actions will continue until "we achieve our goal of safely returning residents of northern Israel to their homes." Meanwhile, the Lebanese Health Minister announced in a press conference that at least 274 people have been killed and over a thousand injured in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon on Monday. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated over the past year that they will establish security in northern Israel by any means necessary, whether diplomatic or military. Israel is demanding Hezbollah's withdrawal from border areas with Israel. Hezbollah claims to have targeted a military base in northern Israel with "dozens of missiles." On Monday, Hezbollah released a statement claiming to have targeted a military base in northern Israel with "dozens of missiles." So far, diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back across the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, have failed. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both as terrorists. Hamas, another proxy group supported by the Iranian government, which massacred 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, during the terrorist attack on October 7 and took over 250 others hostage, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries.