by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday it killed three Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon over the past two days, as tensions escalate along the northern border and Washington moves to bolster Lebanon’s official security institutions.
The IDF confirmed that a strike in the town of Kafra on Wednesday eliminated Ali Mohammed Qarouni, identified as Hezbollah’s local representative in the area. According to the military, Qarouni was responsible for managing the group’s economic and military links with residents, including seizing private property for Hezbollah’s operational use.
“The terrorist acted to seize private property for the organization’s military needs, such as renting homes for storing weapons and conducting surveillance,” the army said.
On Thursday, a separate airstrike targeted a vehicle in Kfar Reman, killing two additional Hezbollah operatives. The IDF said the pair were engineering operatives tasked with rebuilding the group’s military infrastructure in the Mount Dov and Khiam areas. Video footage released by the army showed the moment a car was struck while traveling through the region.
The strikes come as Hezbollah, backed by Iran, faces renewed pressure both internally and externally. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration approved $230 million in support for Lebanon’s security forces, including $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces.
“For a small country like Lebanon, that’s really, really significant,” said one Democratic congressional aide, who confirmed the aid was released before the close of the U.S. fiscal year. The funds are aimed at strengthening Lebanon’s official forces as they pursue a plan to ensure all arms are held only by state security bodies by the end of the year.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the army in August to develop a strategy for consolidating weapons under government control, a move widely seen as a direct challenge to Hezbollah’s parallel military power.
Hezbollah, however, has consistently rejected calls to disarm since its 2006 war with Israel, portraying itself as Lebanon’s main defense against Israeli threats. Yet as clashes with the IDF continue and Washington increases pressure, analysts say the group faces one of its most challenging periods in years.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits remained relatively low in early August, offering another sign that widespread layoffs have yet to take hold even as hiring across the U.S. economy remains subdued.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a second preemptive airstrike in Gaza in two days Thursday, targeting a Hamas terror cell in Khan Yunis that Israeli military officials said was preparing an attack against Israeli forces.
The Trump administration has announced nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian assistance for faith-based organizations, placing several major Christian ministries at the center of a reshaped U.S. foreign-aid strategy following sweeping cuts to USAID programs.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has cast doubt on a controversial Russian-led expansion of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant after record-low levels of the Danube River nearly forced its existing reactors into a complete shutdown.
The United States is preparing to send the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to the Middle East, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln after an exceptionally long deployment supporting American military operations against Iran, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are moving to deepen military cooperation under a new mutual-defense pact that Israeli analysts say could reshape the Middle East’s security architecture while reducing dependence on the United States and bypassing Israel.
Americans added another $21 billion in credit card debt during the second quarter of 2026, pushing outstanding balances to roughly $1.26 trillion and bringing consumer borrowing close to its record high.