By the time targeted killings and assassinations aimed at destabilising Hizbullah’s decision-making capacity dramatically accelerated, regional tensions had reached a peak since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza.

Wissam Al-Tawil, one of the top commanders in Hizbullah’s elite Radwan force, commanding the forces stationed at the border with Israel, was killed on 8 January by an Israeli airstrike on Southern Lebanon.

Ali Hussein Barji was targeted by an Israeli drone strike that killed him on 9 January near the town of Khirbet Selm in Southern Lebanon. He was the commander of Hizbullah’s aerial forces in Southern Lebanon and was one of the masterminds behind the exploding drone system.

Ali Muhammad Al-Debes, a senior commander in Hizbullah’s Radwan Force, and his deputy Hassan Ibrahim Issa, were both killed in an Israeli airstrike on the city of Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon. Al-Debes, who had organised bombings inside of Israel, was in charge of organising Palestinian affairs with Hizbullah.

Israeli airstrikes killed senior Hizbullah commander Qassem Saqlawi on 21 March near the major southern city of Tyre. Saqlawi was the commander of Hizbullah’s coastal rocket and missile array, credited with numerous attacks on Israel using various types of munitions.

Ali Abed Akhsan Naim was killed on 29 March during an Israeli airstrike that targeted Bazouriye, a municipality in Southern Lebanon. Naim was Hizbullah’s deputy commander of the Rocket and Missiles Unit.

Ismail Al-Zin, who was identified as a senior commander in Hizbullah’s Radwan Force, was killed by an Israeli warplane in the southeastern village of Kounine. Al-Zin was a senior commander in the Radwan’s anti-tank missile unit.

Ali Ahmed Hassin was a senior commander of Hizbullah’s Radwan Force killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern town of Al-Sultaniyyah. He was thought to be one of the group’s spymasters, recruiting agents inside Israel.  

On 16 April, Ismail Yusef Baz, the Hizbullah coastal commander, was killed in an Israeli drone strike near Ain Baal. Baz, the counterpart of an Israeli brigade commander, had a long tenure with Hizbullah, holding various positions before assuming the role of coastal commander, overseeing rocket and anti-tank missile attacks on Israel, and orchestrating multiple operations against it.

Muhammad Hossein Matzafa Shouri, the rocket and missile unit commander in the Radwan Force, was also killed on 16 April in the same strike in the village of Kfar Dunin. Responsible for planning and executing numerous rocket operations from the central and western sectors of Lebanon, Shouri played a pivotal role within Hizbullah’s Radwan Force in Southern Lebanon.

On 23 April, Muhammad Attiya, a member of Hizbullah’s elite Radwan Unit, was killed in an overnight Israeli strike in Southern Lebanon. Attiya was identified as part of Hizbullah’s aerial unit.

This strike on 23 April also resulted in the death of Hussein Azqul, a key figure in Hizbullah’s air defence unit, whom Israel described as a central figure involved in planning and executing various operations. Azqul was identified as an engineer in Hizbullah’s aerial defence units and active in field operations.

On 15 May, Hussein Makki, a senior commander in Hizbullah’s Southern Front, was killed in an Israeli drone strike near Tyre. Makki, who had previously led Hizbullah’s coastal division, played a significant role in orchestrating multiple attacks against Israel.

On 12 June, Taleb Abdullah, a high-ranking Hizbullah commander, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jouaiyya. Abdullah held a prominent position within Hizbullah, noted as one of the highest-ranking commanders in Southern Lebanon and leading a regional division. Abdullah was considered the most senior commander to have been killed since the commencement of the war.

On 3 July, Mohammad Naameh Nasser, known by his nom de guerre Abu Naameh, the head of Hizbullah’s Aziz Unit, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Tyre. Nasser’s position as the leader of the Aziz Unit, one of Hizbullah’s three regional divisions in Southern Lebanon, and one of the most senior officials from Hizbullah since Taleb Sami Abdullah.

The targeted killing of Fuad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, on 30 July by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, marked a pivotal moment in the escalating cross-border violence between Hizbullah and Israel, as Shukr was a key figure within Hizbullah, a founder, responsible for major weapons procurement, and the top military commander.

Ibrahim Aqil, a senior leader in the Radwan Force and second in command in Hizbullah’s military operations, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 20 September in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

An Israeli airstrike on 25 September in Ghobeiri, another southern suburb of Beirut, resulted in the death of Ibrahim Qubaisi, a senior Hizbullah commander who led and oversaw Hizbullah’s missile units, including the Precision Guided Missile Unit responsible for attacks within Israel.

Muhammad Hussein Srour, also known as Hajj Abu Saleh, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on 26 September in Lebanon’s capital, known for leading Hizbullah’s aerial attacks on Israel, developing UAV manufacturing capabilities, and commanding the group’s surface-to-air missiles.

Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hizbullah, was a prominent Lebanese politician and cleric who led the Shiite Islamist political party and militant group from February 1992 until his death in September 2024. Nasrallah’s role as the head of Hizbullah solidified his position as a key figure in the organisation, overseeing its strategic direction and decision-making processes. He was killed by an Israeli airstrike on 27 September.

Ali Karaki, the commander of Hizbullah’s southern front, responsible for the terror group’s military activities in Southern Lebanon, was confirmed dead during an IDF strike on Beirut on 27 September. A member of the Jihad Council of Hizbullah, Karaki played a crucial role as the leader of the southern front, overseeing operations in the region.

 

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* A version of this article appears in print in the 3 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly