Hamas and Iran have both issued statements denouncing the killing of a Hezbollah leader

Hamas and Iran have issued statements criticizing the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil in a strike in southern Lebanon. Tawil was recognized for his significant role in directing Hezbollah’s activities near the Israeli border.

Hamas, in their statement, extended their deepest condolences for Tawil’s martyrdom, recognizing his contribution to “jihadist duty in support of Gaza.” They emphasized that the increased aggression by Israel and its targeting of resistance leaders would not discourage the resistance forces.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, strongly denounced the attack, cautioning against Israel’s actions to widen the conflict in the region. Kanani labeled Israel’s actions as explicit terrorist operations, attributing them to the setbacks Israel faced in field battles, including in the Gaza Strip.

While the Israeli military acknowledged striking Hezbollah military sites in Lebanon, they did not directly comment on Tawil’s death.

Photos released by Hezbollah depicted Tawil with key figures in the movement, including the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s foreign operations, and Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Tawil was also shown with Imad Mughniyeh, a former top commander in Hezbollah who was killed in a car bombing in Syria in 2008, an event attributed to Israel.

Additionally, Tawil was pictured with Hezbollah’s former military commander in Syria, Mustafa Badreddine, who was indicted for the assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and died in 2016.

Tawil’s death marks the most significant loss for Hezbollah since the beginning of the frequent exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7. Hezbollah stated that Tawil played a role in the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldiers, leading to war with Israel, as well as directing several operations against Israeli forces since the recent conflict in Gaza commenced.