An Iranian envoy landed in Beirut immediately after the assassination of Taleb Sami Abdallah, the commander of Hezbollah's Nasr unit in southern Lebanon. However, instead of heading to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's office, he met with Nasrallah’s close associates in a closed room. The main topic: Iran's concern—shared by Hezbollah—that Israel is now targeting Nasrallah himself.
For years, it was understood that Hezbollah believed Israel did not intend to eliminate Nasrallah. Over his 32-year tenure as leader of the world's largest, most armed, skilled, and disciplined terrorist organization, Israel has learned to anticipate his speeches and monitor his health.
While Nasrallah remains the senior figure, a new generation of commanders is emerging within the terror group. Reports occasionally naming his potential successors likely annoy Nasrallah, who suspects—correctly—that Israel is leaking this information to weaken him and create internal tension within Hezbollah's leadership.
The Mossad appears to know Nasrallah's exact location at all times. Even if he changes addresses, "our people" are well-informed. Nasrallah himself believes Israel can reach him but is holding back. Although security around him has been tightened, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen recently revealed unequivocally, "We know the exact location of the Secretary-General of the terrorist organization, and we can take him out at any moment." He added, "If a decision is made to settle the score with Nasrallah, Israel can do so at any given time."
The assassination of senior Hezbollah military officer Taleb Sami Abdallah was a significant blow. Only a few outside Hezbollah had heard of the commander responsible for the southern region, from the Litani River to the Shebaa Farms, an area with no defined borders between Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
Terrorists from the "Nasser Force," commanded by the late Abu Taleb, instantly vowed to launch "immediate retaliation." As a result, 215 rockets were fired at Tiberias, Safed, and Kibbutz Sasa, causing no casualties.
Taleb, his close aide, and two commanders were killed in the town of Jouaiya, 25 kilometers from the Israeli border. Hezbollah's spokesperson stated that the four were in a work meeting planning a shooting attack on Kfar Blum. Now, Hashem Safi al-Din, head of Hezbollah's advisory council, asserts that the more Israel kills Hezbollah members, the stronger the terror group becomes. In contrast, the Hezbollah-affiliated daily Al-Akhbar acknowledged in a bold headline, "Israel dealt a painful blow by assassinating Taleb Sami Abdallah."
Smadar PerryPhoto: Yariv KatzTwo of my academic friends in Lebanon wrote to me, admitting they had never heard of Taleb, but "it makes sense that they appointed a Hezbollah commander in the southern region."
This remark suggests that most Lebanese citizens are suffering under airstrikes and Hezbollah’s ground operations. It also indicates that the IDF's operational reach has extended to the town of Tyre. "I know," one of my friends in Beirut told me, "that there is a long-standing issue with Nasrallah, and I add the 'madness' that has gripped Netanyahu over the past eight months. Netanyahu disregards the Americans and doesn't care that France claims there are civilians in Lebanon who have no war with Israel."
My friends have learned from the presidential office in Beirut that Israel has warned residents of 60 southern villages to evacuate via phone messages. However, only a few have left, tired of the upheaval. They continue to work their agricultural lands as if nothing has changed.