The head of Hezbollah’s combat drone operations has been killed by Israeli forces in a second high-profile assassination within 24 hours.
Ali Hussein Barji, who commanded the unit in southern Lebanon, was killed on Tuesday, Hezbollah said.
It came as Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, visited Israel to discuss plans for the future of Gaza once the war ends.
Barji’s car was targeted in an air strike on the town of Khirbet Selm where he had arrived for the funeral of Wissam al-Tawil, another senior Hezbollah commander, who was killed by a suspected Israeli strike on Monday.
The apparent assassination came hours before Hezbollah drones, believed to be under the command of Barji, hit an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) base in Safed, eight miles from the Lebanese border.
Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the US-based Middle East Institute, said his reported assassination was “another notch up the escalation ladder”.
The IDF has not commented on the strike.
Evacuated residents ‘cannot go home yet’
It came as Israel said on Tuesday that residents of more than 40 towns and kibbutzim evacuated from the north of Gaza will not be allowed back until hostilities had ended.
About 76,000 people have fled border areas in southern Lebanon to evade daily rocket attacks, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Fears of a wider escalation between Israel and Lebanon grew last week when Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, was believed to have been killed in a drone strike on Beirut.
On Tuesday, Mr Blinken called on Israel to take greater steps to protect civilians, allow more aid into Gaza and work with moderate Palestinian leaders, saying regional countries would only invest in the reconstruction of Gaza if there is a “pathway to a Palestinian state”.
He also said he was “crystal clear” that Palestinians must be able to return to their homes “as soon as conditions allow”.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, told Mr Blinken that increasing pressure on Iran would be critical to “prevent regional escalation in additional areas”.
Like other Israeli officials, Mr Gallant did not give any indication that there was an end in sight to its military campaign which has already claimed more than 23,000 lives in Gaza.
Israel is set to intensify its operation in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis until it roots out Hamas leaders and frees all hostages captured in an unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct 7, Mr Gallant told Mr Blinken.
Israeli officials are coming under increasing pressure to rescue 136 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A coalition to govern Gaza
Before he reached Israel Mr Blinken said four key Arab nations and Turkey had agreed to start planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israel ends its military campaign.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey would contribute to “day after” scenarios for Gaza, he said, while also expecting concrete steps towards creating a Palestinian state, something that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to.
About 85 per cent of Gaza’s population – 1.9 million people – have been internally displaced, and now most live in intensely overcrowded temporary accommodation in the enclave’s south, according to the UN.
On Tuesday, Israel agreed to allow a UN delegation into northern Gaza to evaluate the damaged infrastructure and map out what is needed for the return of the displaced residents, according to the Axios news website, citing talks between Mr Blinken and members of the Israeli war cabinet.
Mr Blinken reportedly stressed the need to allow Palestinians to return to their homes in the north of Gaza, something that Israel has pushed back against, claiming that the security situation on the ground does not allow it.
Israeli officials also reportedly said they want to see progress towards a new hostage deal before Gazans from the north are allowed to return home.
