by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that it carried out an airstrike in the Zaita area of southern Lebanon, killing a Hezbollah operative involved in drone operations and terror activity along Israel’s northern border.
According to an official military statement, the operative was identified as Alaa’ Hourani, a member of Hezbollah’s aerial operations. The IDF said Hourani played a role in re-establishing the terror group’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence, and assisting in the deployment of Hezbollah forces during the ongoing conflict.
The military said the strike was conducted in response to “Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire understandings.”
The strike came less than 24 hours after another IDF operation in Jouaiyya, southern Lebanon, where a Hezbollah terrorist from the group’s 127th Aerial Unit was killed. That operative was also involved in rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in the area, the IDF said.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Lebanon’s efforts to curb Hezbollah’s activity, saying the country’s government and army have failed to sufficiently disarm the Iran-backed terror group. Netanyahu’s office said Hezbollah continues to rearm and rebuild its infrastructure with Iranian support, undermining stability along the border.
Lebanon’s army earlier Thursday claimed it had achieved full operational control south of the Litani River, except for areas currently under IDF control. The military said it has entered an advanced stage of consolidating weapons and reaffirmed its commitment to being the sole authority responsible for security in southern Lebanon, aiming to prevent armed groups from using the border area as a base for attacks.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Eight prominent Muslim-majority countries announced their decision this week to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, a move framed by its supporters as a step toward stability — but viewed in Israel with deep skepticism given past regional failures in Gaza.
Nigerian police have confirmed that a large group of Christian worshippers were kidnapped by suspected Muslim gunmen from three churches in a remote area of Nigeria’s northern Kaduna State, reversing an earlier denial that authorities said had been “widely misinterpreted.”
President Donald Trump called off tariffs on U.S. allies opposed to his plans to annex Greenland after announcing a tentative deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for a future deal on Greenland.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join the newly proposed Board of Peace, his office confirmed Wednesday, as a growing number of European governments signaled they will not participate in the initiative.
President Donald Trump said the United States is pursuing negotiations to acquire Greenland while ruling out the use of military force, framing the controversial proposal as a necessary security measure rather than an economic or mineral-driven ambition.
Gold prices surged to a record high on Wednesday as investors sought safety the deepest crisis in the transatlantic alliance in decades with U.S. President Donald J. Trump saying Europe “is not heading in the right direction.”
U.S. President Donald J. Trump marked one year since returning to the White House with a wide-ranging and often confrontational press conference, defending his record while renewing criticism of political opponents, major media outlets, and several U.S. allies.