The recent uptick in targeted eliminations of senior Hezbollah commanders by Israel, marked by the killing of another commander on 3 July, signifies a notable shift in the rules of engagement. Israeli military officials claim they have eliminated half of Hezbollah's commanders in southern Lebanon—a statement that Hezbollah sources dismiss as propaganda.
These conflicting accounts raise important questions about these developments and their impact: How many Hezbollah commanders has Israel effectively eliminated? What insights can we gain from the profiles of the targeted senior operatives? And what broader significance do these attacks hold?
Hezbollah rarely releases details about the ranks of its deceased members, but the group's reactions to targeted individuals often provide insights into the significance of the fighters killed. For example, Hezbollah launched 100 rockets into Israel in retaliation for the killing of its senior commanders in Tyre last week. Notably, the party’s retaliation was far more substantial, launching 200 rockets in response to the killing of senior commander Sami Taleb Abdullah, indicating that he held a higher rank.
By cross-referencing the group's responses with publicly available data on claims regarding its eliminated commanders, it is likely that around 29 senior Hezbollah commanders have been eliminated between 8 October 2023 and 16 June 2024.
Nasser and Aziz units
The Southern Front—encompassing three main units within Hezbollah's structure—witnessed the highest number of casualties among commanders, with 11 senior operatives killed, representing almost 38% of the total. This front comprises the Nasser and Aziz units tasked with defending the area from the Israeli border to the Litani River (referred to as the First Line of Defence). Additionally, the Badr unit oversees the region between the Litani River and Sidon, known as the Second Line of Defence.
