Israel conducted several airstrikes in south Lebanon on Tuesday, March 11, targeting Hezbollah assets and personnel.
The first strike, carried out by an Israeli drone, was reported at 1:22 pm by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA Lebanon). The NNA report said the Israeli drone struck a car traveling on the route identified variously as the road between Roumine and Wadi Deir al Zahrani, or the road between the latter area and Houmine al Fawqa in south Lebanon. Per the Lebanese Health Ministry, this strike killed at least one person whose identity was not confirmed.
However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released a statement saying the strike “near Nabatiyeh in south Lebanon” targeted Hassan Abbas Izzeldine, whom it identified as the operative responsible for aerial defense in Hezbollah’s “Badr” Unit.
“Hassan Abbas was a highly knowledgeable figure in Hezbollah’s aerial defense array, leading efforts to restore the group’s aerial defense array after it suffered significant damage in fighting with the IDF,” according to the IDF. The Israeli military’s statement added, “Hassan Abbas continued these efforts in recent months, including advancing attempts by Hezbollah’s aerial defense array to acquire new weapons, which pose a direct threat to Israeli aircraft.”
If the IDF’s allegations are accurate, Hassan Abbas’s activities constitute a significant violation of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, though the area where Izzeldine was killed—and where he was presumably operating—was north of the Litani River. The deal, building off Lebanon’s default obligations under international law and reinforced by bilateral agreements and UN Security Council resolutions, also requires Lebanon to seal its borders and entry points to weapons, arms, and related materiel destined for Hezbollah.
As of the time of this writing, Hezbollah and its affiliated media have not released a statement on Hassan Abbas Izzeldine’s fate.
The second set of strikes, also carried out by an Israeli drone, occurred between approximately 2:55 pm and 3:15 pm between the locales of Froun, Kfarsir, and Srifa, according to NNA Lebanon. The strikes targeted a van that was in the area.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released a statement on these strikes, saying it had identified “several terrorists in a site previously used by Hezbollah, near Froun in south Lebanon.” According to the statement, the IDF’s Northern Command then directed Israeli aircraft to strike the terrorists. Per the Lebanese Health Ministry, this set of strikes killed at least one person whose identity was not confirmed.
However, Hezbollah-affiliated accounts identified two of the group’s operatives as having been killed that day by the Israeli strikes.
The first was Mustafa Mahmoud Naim, whose nom de guerre is Yassir, from the town of Sanaa in south Lebanon. Naim is to be buried today in his village of Sanaa.
The second fighter identified as being killed that day was Hassan Ali Haidar, nom de guerre Shahid, from the town of Tibnine in south Lebanon. He is set to be buried on Thursday in his home village of Tibnine.
