Israel kills 2 Hezbollah commanders after drone attack

The Israel Defense Forces struck targets in southern Lebanon overnight Friday and Saturday, August 15-16, 2026, killing two senior Hezbollah commanders in retaliation for a drone attack that seriously wounded three Israeli soldiers, escalating violence just weeks after a truce agreement was signed. The series of events has drawn international concern and jeopardized fragile diplomatic efforts.

The escalation began at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 15, when an explosive-laden Hezbollah drone struck near an Israeli commando engineering unit in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area of southern Lebanon. The attack seriously wounded an officer and two soldiers. They were evacuated to a hospital in Haifa, where two remained in serious condition and one was later stabilized to moderate condition.

In response, the Israeli military conducted airstrikes in several locations. One strike in the Ansar area killed Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan, identified by the IDF as a battalion commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. The military said he was responsible for directing operations against Israeli forces in the security zone. The IDF later announced a separate strike in the Deir ez-Zahrani...