Israeli Attack in Kafra Claims Hezbollah Fighter and Civilian Woman

On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon resulted in the death of a Hezbollah fighter. A Lebanese security official indicated that the strike was aimed at a high-ranking commander who managed to survive.

Since the commencement of hostilities between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the border area between Lebanon and Israel has been the site of almost daily skirmishes. These have involved the Israeli military and Hezbollah, which is aligned with Hamas based in Gaza.

Hezbollah confirmed the death of Fadel Shaar, one of its members, in the town of Kafra due to the Israeli strike. A Lebanese security source informed AFP that the attack killed a member of Hezbollah’s security team and that the senior commander being protected narrowly avoided death. Another source associated with Hezbollah acknowledged the death of a fighter but refuted claims that a high-level official was the intended target. These sources spoke under the condition of anonymity due to security reasons.

According to the security official, the Hezbollah commander was traveling in a vehicle following the one that was struck. The source linked to Hezbollah mentioned that a civilian woman was also injured in the area at the time of the strike.

The Lebanese National News Agency later reported that the injured civilian woman, named Samar al-Sayyed Mohammed, succumbed to her injuries. Initially, the NNA had reported a single fatality due to an Israeli drone strike on Kafra, a village near the Lebanese-Israeli border. The agency detailed that the drone hit near an army checkpoint, destroying a four-wheel drive and igniting another vehicle. Another security official assured that there were no casualties among the Lebanese soldiers.

Hezbollah later announced the death of one of its fighters, saying he was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term the group uses for members slain by Israeli forces. The group also claimed it had launched attacks on northern Israel in retaliation for the Kafra strike.

The Risala Scout association, connected to the Hezbollah-affiliated Amal movement, reported that two of its rescuers were injured in the strike. Additionally, the NNA stated that Israel had targeted multiple locations in southern Lebanon on Sunday, including the destruction of five houses in the border village of Markaba, fortunately without casualties.

The Israeli army confirmed striking Hezbollah positions in Markaba and other sites in southern Lebanon, including what they described as “a Hezbollah operational command center and military compound.”

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza in October, regional tensions have escalated, with Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen becoming involved in the violence. This has raised concerns about a broader conflict. According to an AFP tally, the ongoing violence has resulted in over 195 deaths in Lebanon, including at least 144 Hezbollah fighters. On the Israeli side, 15 people have been killed in the northern border area, comprising nine soldiers and six civilians.