Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its top commander Wissam al-Tawil in a suspected Israeli strike as fears of a major conflict in Lebanon grow.

Hezbollah confirmed this Monday the death of Wissam al Tawil, deputy head of a unit within the Radwan force, in charge of the group’s special operations, whose main mission is to infiltrate Israeli territory.

According to Lebanese state media, Al Tawil was in a vehicle that was attacked by an Israeli drone in the Khibert Selm area of ​​the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.

The attack caused the car to go off the road and catch fire.

“it This is a very painful blow” a security source told the Reuters news agency.

Following the attack, a medical team and emergency responders immediately arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese Islamist political group with a powerful Iranian-backed military wing, has been clashing with Israeli forces on the Lebanese-Israeli border since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

More than 130 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon since the cross-border bombing began.

Hezbollah is also one of the largest political parties in Lebanon.

Its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warned in November Further escalation on the Lebanese front is “a real possibility” In the face of Israeli attacks.

Wissam al Tawil is the highest-ranking Hezbollah official killed in Lebanon since the war between Hamas and Israel began.

Last week, after a senior Hamas official was killed in an alleged Israeli strike in Beirut, Hezbollah’s leader again warned Israel not to start a conflict because they “will regret it.”

Hamas-led Gaza health officials say about 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military response since the Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,139 people.

Analysis by Hugo Bachega

BBC correspondent in Beirut

There is almost daily firing between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Giving rise to fears of a major conflict.

So far, violence has been largely confined to the border areas.

Hezbollah has moderated its actions to avoid a full-scale war with Israel, which it has warned would lead to a devastating response.

Last week, reacting to an alleged Israeli attack that killed a senior Hamas official in the Hezbollah stronghold of Beirut, leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israeli officials not to trigger a conflict, saying they would Will regret.

But did not threaten to escalate his actions,

Many people here still remember the destruction caused by a month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

In Lebanon, which is currently facing a massive economic crisis, there is no public support for a military confrontation.

However, miscalculation always creates risk.

And in Israel, some senior figures have advocated a broader offensive against Hezbollah to reduce the threat posed by the group and to allow the return of thousands of residents evacuated from northern Israel due to frequent attacks.

“We will create a completely different reality (in the North) or we will end up in another war.”Israeli army chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzl Halevi said on Sunday.

Hezbollah – whose name means Party of God – is a Shia Islamic political party and Iranian-backed paramilitary group that wields major power in Lebanon.

It has been directed by Hassan Nasrallah since 1992 and has now become The most powerful military force of the Arab nation,

The group has also gradually gained influence in Lebanon’s political system and has veto power in the cabinet.

The organization is considered by some Lebanese as a threat to the country’s stability, but it remains popular among the Lebanese Shia community it represents.

Hezbollah was officially created in 1985 through the publication of an “open letter” that identified the United States and the Soviet Union as the main enemies of Islam and raised the destruction of Israel as a major objective.

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