The Israel Defense Forces is destroying the operational linkage between Iran and Hezbollah, military sources stated on Thursday, while stressing that the main effort in the war remains focused on further severely degrading the Islamic Republic’s offensive and defensive capabilities.
As part of this effort, Israel is actively working to sever the connection between Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors by targeting the Quds Force, the expeditionary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which coordinates between Tehran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, arming, activating and funding it.
“We put out a warning for them that any Quds Iranian official who is conducting or promoting or directing attacks against Israel from Lebanon, we will find them and carry out strikes against them,” said IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani.
Speaking during a briefing to journalists on the 13th day of “Operation Roaring Lion” and the 12th day since Hezbollah joined the conflict, he revealed that most Iranian Quds Force leaders in Lebanon had now either left the country or been eliminated.
On Thursday, the IAF said that, with the guidance of Military Intelligence, it struck and eliminated a commander of the Imam Hussein Division, a force used by the Quds Force to strengthen the Iranian axis and launch attacks on Israeli forces and civilians. It named the commander as Ali Muslim Tabaja.
“The division is composed of thousands of terrorists across the Middle East and it serves as a force-employment method, providing Hezbollah with significant capabilities,” said the military.
Tabaja, it said, was a key figure within the division “for the Hezbollah terrorist organization. He joined the Hezbollah terrorist organization and, over the years, held a series of military roles both within Hezbollah and within the division, including serving as the deputy commander of the division.”
The previous commander of the division was eliminated in 2024. The strike also eliminated several additional terror operatives, including the division’s deputy commander and its drone officer.
The IDF confirmed that on Tuesday, it eliminated a commander in the IRGC’s missile unit within Hezbollah in Beirut, responsible for key coordination efforts between Hezbollah and Iran.
Combined Hezbollah-Iranian attack
In his briefing to reporters, Shoshani described Wednesday night’s combined Hezbollah-Iranian attack against Israel. “Last night, Hezbollah timed a simultaneous attack with Iran, firing rockets and drones at towns and communities across Israel,” Shoshani said.
He noted that the barrage included approximately 200 rockets and 20 UAVs, combined with ballistic missiles fired from Iran.
“These attacks aren’t Hezbollah protecting the people of Lebanon. It’s Hezbollah protecting a terrorist regime that is 2,000 kilometers away, based on a shared conviction that Israel must cease to exist,” Shoshani stated.
Shoshani added that Israeli intelligence had indications of the impending attack, allowing the military to prepare aerial defense systems and the home front. This preparation enabled the IDF to precisely strike more than 50 percent of the launchers used in the first wave, in some cases eliminating the terrorists as they fired.
“Our actions also prevented this attack from being much larger. They fired from 8 p.m. yesterday to this morning, approximately a third of what we estimate that they were planning on firing towards Israel,” Shoshani noted.
The rapid response resulted in minimal casualties in the north of Israel, with only two or three direct hits and a few civilians lightly injured.
Since joining the war, Hezbollah has launched over a thousand UAVs, missiles, and rockets at Israel, according to IDF data. Shoshani highlighted that while Hezbollah’s capabilities have been diminished in recent years, it remains a dangerous terror force requiring decisive action.
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