Tel Aviv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Israeli defence forces stated on Wednesday that they killed a Hezbollah operative in Lebanon’s Bekaa region, claiming he was leading militant cells in Syria. According to the Israeli military, the commander, Hassam Qassem Gharab, was running from Lebanon terror cells in Syria to carry out rocket attacks at the Golan Heights in northern Israel.
“Yesterday evening (Tuesday), the (Israeli air force)… struck the terrorist Hossam Qasem Ghorab, a Hezbollah terrorist who operated from Lebanese territory to direct terrorist cells in Syria,”
the army released a statement.
The cells based in Syria “were preparing for a rocket attack toward the Golan Heights,” it stated as well, referencing the territory that was annexed by Israel after its war with Syria in 1967.
What does the plan to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon entail?
The Lebanese cabinet has ordered the Lebanese army to develop a plan that will disarm Hezbollah, it seems by the end of 2025, significantly changing the position that Lebanon has had since the end of their civil war decades ago.
The decision was revealed after a near six-hour cabinet meeting on August 5, 2025, under considerable U.S. pressure and ongoing attempts to implement the ceasefire agreement signed by the government in November 2024. The government seeks to regulate all weapons under state authority, limiting the authority to use weapons to the army or other legitimate state forces.
Why does Israel frequently target Hezbollah members despite the ceasefire?
The recent ceasefire deal between Hezbollah and Israel that the United States and France brokered was set for 4:00 a.m. local time on November 27, 2024, and was intended to bring an end to over thirteen months of continuous fighting, and was accomplished as designed as part of a process into a more permanent peace.
Israel will frequently target Hezbollah individuals regardless of the ceasefire in place, primarily due to Israel’s claim that Hezbollah has violated the terms of the ceasefire, which not only included moving its forces but also including a continued menacing security threat.
In Israel’s assessment, Hezbollah has not successfully relocated its fighters above the Litani river and has not only continued its assaults on Israeli territory from inside Lebanon, but is in a position to prepare for future attacks to follow. In this context, Israel believes it is justified in its activity to diminish Hezbollah’s capabilities and contribute to making sure its civilian population in the north remains safe and secure.
