Jamaa Islamiya commander killed in Israel strike south of Beirut

A senior commander in the military wing of Lebanon’s Jamaa Islamiya (Islamic Group), Hussein Izzat Atwi, was killed early on Tuesday in an Israeli drone strike that targeted his vehicle in Baaouerta, near the coastal town of Damour, south of Beirut, a source from the group confirmed to The New Arab.

The group, which took part in cross-border attacks from Lebanon towards Israel since the start of its assault on Gaza in October 2023, said Atwi was travelling from his home in Baaourta to his workplace in Beirut when the strike occurred.

In a statement mourning his death, Jamaa Islamiya described Atwi as a "leader, academic, and university professor", condemning what it called a "cowardly Zionist act of treachery".

Lebanon's civil defence said its teams responded at 09:10 local time (06:00 GMT) to extinguish the resulting fire, which had spread to surrounding brush. They recovered Atwi’s body from the burned-out vehicle.

Israeli aircraft continue to fly at low altitudes across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, and coastal areas, in violation of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 27 November 2024.

According to the Lebanese army, as of 17 April, Israel has breached the ceasefire terms over 2,740 times, resulting in more than 190 deaths and over 485 injuries.

Jamaa Islamiya said Atwi’s assassination had marked the eighth targeted killing of one of its commanders since October 2023.

Its military wing, the Fajr Forces, has carried out multiple attacks against Israeli military sites in northern Israel since then, often in retaliation for Israeli strikes on civilians and journalists in southern Lebanon.

The incident also comes as Hezbollah steps up its warnings amid ongoing Israeli attacks. Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Friday that diplomacy still had a chance, but warned the group had "open options" and was unafraid of escalation.

"If they want to test us, let them continue. We will respond at the time of our choosing," he said.