The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official in an airstrike, as the Lebanese militant group faces a series of devastating setbacks, including the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The military reported that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was killed on Saturday. Hezbollah has yet to comment on the strike, and the location of the attack remains unclear.
In recent weeks, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of several senior Hezbollah figures, including founding members who had long evaded capture or assassination and were close to Nasrallah. Hezbollah has also been hit by a sophisticated attack targeting its communication systems, such as pagers and walkie-talkies, widely believed to be the work of Israel.
The ongoing conflict has seen a wave of Israeli airstrikes across large swathes of Lebanon, killing over 1,030 people — including 156 women and 87 children — according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, with around 250,000 people seeking shelter and many others relying on friends, relatives, or makeshift camps.
Despite the strikes, Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and missiles into northern Israel, though most have been intercepted or landed in uninhabited areas, causing minimal casualties and damage.
Kaouk, a longtime Hezbollah member since the 1980s, served as the group’s military commander in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel. He was a prominent figure in local media, often speaking on security and political issues, and was known for eulogizing senior militants. In 2020, the U.S. sanctioned Kaouk for his activities.
Hezbollah began launching attacks into northern Israel following Hamas’ assault on October 7, which triggered the current war. Both Hezbollah and Hamas, backed by Iran, are part of the “Axis of Resistance” against Israel. Israel has retaliated with extensive airstrikes, pushing the conflict closer to all-out war and raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Israel has emphasised its commitment to returning 60,000 evacuated citizens to northern communities. Hezbollah has stated it will continue its attacks unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza — a goal that has so far proven elusive, despite ongoing negotiations mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt.