Israel Assassinates Prominent Hezbollah Commander, Group Responds With Rocket Fire
South Front, May 23 2024
Israel assassinated on May 23 a prominent commander of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the group responded by firing dozens of rockets. In a statement, the IDF said that it killed Nasser Farran who was a “prominent” commander of Hezbollah responsible for the manufacturing and procurement of weapons. Farran was killed in a drone strike in the town of Kafr Dajjal in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah confirmed his death, but did not provide information on his role. The same strike wounded three children who were aboard a mini bus that was passing nearby at the time. The IDF alleged in its statement that Farran was heavily involved in “the production of Hezbollah’s strategic and unique weapons.” Some of the facilities under Farran command were struck in recent months, the IDF said, noting that the assassination is part of ongoing operations to “cause a blow to the build-up of the Hezbollah terror organization with weapons designed to attack the Israeli home front.”
Following the assassination, Hezbollah said in two separate statements that its fighters fired dozens of Katyusha and Falaq rockets at a newly-established headquarters of the 91th Division in the settlement of Ayelet and another of the 769th Brigade in the settlement of Beit Hillel. Hebrew media said that 30 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon in the first attack with the launcher being hit later by the IDF and at least five were fired in the second. No casualties were reported, only material losses. In two other statements, Hezbollah announced that its fighters struck surveillance equipment of the IDF in the sites of Metula and al-Rahib. The four attacks were carried out as a response to the assassination in Kafr Dajjal, the group noted in its statements.
Palestinian Fighters Kill Three More Israeli Soldiers In Gaza
South Front, May 23 2024
Three Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting in the Gaza Strip on May 22, the IOF announced. Two of the slain soldiers were from the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, while the third was serving in the ranks of the Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom unit. The Yehuda Battalion soldiers were killed in a Hamas sniper attack in the city of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, the IDF said, adding that another soldier from the same unit was seriously wounded in the incident. Video footage of the attack was released by Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Meanwhile, the Yahalom unit soldier was killed by an explosive device in a building in northern Gaza. The IDF said another soldier of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion and a Yahalom reservist were also seriously wounded in the same blast. Their deaths brought the toll of slain Israeli troops in the IDF’s ground operations in Gaza and along the border to 286. A civilian Defense Ministry contractor has also been killed in the Strip. More than 1,500 others have been wounded in the operations so far. Recent clashes in northern Gaza were not limited to Beit Hanoun. The al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, released footage showing a mortar attack on gatherings of the IDF on Mount al-Kachif to the east of the Jabaliya refugee camp.
And in the southern part of the Strip, there were reports of additional advance by Israeli troops. The IDF said that it had deployed an additional battalion to the area of Rafah, as it began ground operating in the city’s Brazil and Shaboura neighborhoods, following “information on terror targets in the area.” The Nahal Brigade joined the 162nd Division which has been operating in Rafah since earlier this month. Nahal was the fifth IDF brigade to be operating in the city in southern Gaza, after the 401st, Givati, Commando and Negev brigades. The Izz’ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and al-Quds Brigades released videos showing attacks on vehicles of the IDF in Rafah’s Brazil neighborhood and Salah’ad-Din Gate as well as a Skylark reconnaissance drone that was shot down over the area.
It’s worth noting that the Israeli war on Gaza has so far claimed the lives of 35,709 Palestinians and left nearly 80k others wounded, according to the latest update by the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip. Most of the victims were women and children. In addition to the high number of casualties, the Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the Strip’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Another Ship Attacked In Red Sea After Series Of US Strikes On Houthis In Yemen
South Front, May 23 2024
A merchant vessel reportedly came under attack in the Red Sea a day after the US launched strikes against the Houthis (AnsarAllah) in Yemen. Fighter jets of the US-UK coalition carried out on May 22 six strikes on the airport of the western Yemeni port city of al-Hodeidah which is controlled by the Houthis, the country’s Al-Masirah TV reported without providing any further details. US CENTCOM later announced that its forces had successfully engaged four drones in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. The strikes were not apparently enough to stop the Houthis. UKMTO said on May 23 that it had received a report of an incident 98 nautical miles south of al-Hodeidah. Separately, British security firm Ambrey said it received a report that a merchant vessel was suspiciously approached 68 nautical miles southwest of al-Hodeidah and had undergone what it described as “missile attack.” Ambrey said in an advisory notice that no injuries or damages were reported. The Houthis have not yet acknowledged the attack reported by UKMTO and Ambrey, though it typically takes them hours to issue a claim. The US and the UK have carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen since January in an attempt to deter the group. Nevertheless, the group continues to launch attacks at the same rate as before.
Niqnaq 