Hezbollah cmdr. killing shows resistance united to liberate al-Quds: Nakhalah

The Islamic Jihad chief says the assassination of top Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil clearly shows that all forces of the Axis of Resistance are united to liberate the holy city of al-Quds from the Israeli occupation.

“Hajj Jawad (Wissam al-Tawil) played a prominent and leading role in the path of resistance [against Israel], especially as regards the heroic operations of Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon against the Zionist enemy in defense of Lebanon, Palestine and resilient people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” Ziyad al-Nakhalah said in a statement.

He emphasized that the targeted killing of the senior Hezbollah commander and his associates clearly shows that all forces of the Axis of Resistance are united to liberate al-Quds City from the clutches of the usurping Tel Aviv regime.

The Islamic Jihad movement, in a separate statement, extended its deep condolences to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over the tragic incident.

“The fallen resistance commander played an important role in many phases of the struggle against the Zionist enemy, stood truly loyal to Palestinians and had unshakable faith in their cause.

“He was recognized as a trusted friend and a courageous warrior among Palestinian resistance fighters, and used to considerably facilitate coordination among forces of the Axis of Resistance,” the statement read.

Israel assassinates Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon

Wissam Hassan al-Tawil was killed when a drone strike hit the vehicle transporting him in the village of Khirbet Selm on Monday.

The Gaza-based movement went on to say that Tawil’s assassination demonstrates that Lebanese and Palestinian peoples have a steely determination to confront Israeli acts of aggression.

“We reiterate that the assassination of resistance leaders and commanders will only cement unity and cohesion among our forces and will strengthen their resolve to fight for the complete liberation of the occupied lands and the annihilation of the occupying regime,” the statement noted.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that the attack on the top Hezbollah commander was carried out by an Israeli drone about 10:15 a.m. local time (0815 GMT) on Monday on the road to al-Dabshah in the town of Khirbet Selm in the Bint Jbeil district.

Tawil, 58, was reportedly the deputy head of a unit in the elite Radwan Force.

Hezbollah said he joined the group in 1989 and that he participated in several “qualitative” operations against Israeli forces during the occupation of southern Lebanon before 2000 and suffered serious wounds during an attack in 1999.

The Israeli regime launched its devastating war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the territory’s Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

The Israeli military has also been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.

The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed at least 23,084 people, most of them women and children. More than 58,926 individuals have also been wounded.

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