Israel strikes Hezbollah commander behind Iranian arms transfers

Israel struck a key figure in Hezbollah's efforts to smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon, the Israel Defence Forces said on Sunday.

The IDF said it targeted Hussein Ali Nasser, deputy head of Hezbollah's Unit 4400 in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Saturday. Unit 4400 is responsible for smuggling Iranian weapons and money into Lebanon.

The army added that Nasser worked closely with Iranian officials and collaborators at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport. According to the IDF, Nasser also played a key role in coordinating arms deals along the Syria-Lebanon border.

According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the terror group is forbidden from operating in Southern Lebanon south of the LitRiver.

The ban on Hezbollah activity in southern Lebanon was reinforced by the ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024.

Hezbollah rocket barrages forced thousands of residents of northern Israel to evacuate their homes. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group vowed to continue the barrages as long as Israeli forces were in Gaza. In September 2024, thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies exploded, followed by wide-ranging airstrikes on Hezbollah's leadership, missiles, and other assets.

After Israeli forces began a ground operation on October 1, soldiers found evidence that Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force had been planning to invade the Galilee.