Hezbollah condemns Israeli assassination of Islamic Group official
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Hezbollah issues a statement condemning the Israeli occupation's assassination of a top official in the Islamic Group, calling on the Lebanese state to act.
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The wreckage of the car hit by an Israeli airstrike on Damour, southern Lebanon, April 22, 2025 (Social media)
Hezbollah on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as a "cowardly and treacherous" Israeli assassination of Sheikh Hussein Atwi, a senior figure in the Islamic Group, calling on the Lebanese state to move beyond mere denunciations and take decisive action.
In an official statement, Hezbollah stressed that the Lebanese authorities must "abandon the role of a helpless observer" and implement "serious, urgent, and effective measures at all levels, using all available means."
The group warned that repeated condemnations have failed to deter the Israeli regime or protect Lebanese sovereignty.
Resistance faces a common enemy
Speaking at a condolence gathering, Hezbollah’s head of Islamic relations, Sheikh Abdul Majid Ammar, extended his sympathies to the Islamic Group, asserting that the assassination was part of the Israeli regime's ongoing violations of Lebanese sovereignty and its attempts to weaken the Resistance in all its forms.
"This crime is yet another example of the enemy's arrogance and its blatant disregard for our nation's sovereignty. It seeks to target the resistance, regardless of its affiliations," Ammar said. "This only confirms that the resistance project is unified, and the enemy is one."
He also criticized what he called "blatant American support" for Israeli actions, arguing that the failure of international actors to enforce ceasefire agreements has emboldened "Israel’s" continued aggression.
"The enemy’s increasing crimes, under clear American cover, are a direct result of the negligence of the nations responsible for upholding the ceasefire, and the international community’s refusal to act. This encourages the enemy to continue its brutal and unrestrained conduct," he stated.
Israeli strikes kill Atwi, civilian
Earlier on Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the town of Bawarta near Naameh, south of Beirut, killing Sheikh Atwi.
A separate Israeli strike on the outskirts of the southern town of Haniyeh, in the Tyre district, resulted in another fatality and several injuries.
Sheikh Ammar emphasized that the recurring attacks, including the deadly strike in Haniyeh, demand that the Lebanese state fully assume its national responsibilities to protect its citizens.
Repeat violations, airstrikes
Israeli forces intensified on Sunday their attacks on Lebanon violating the ceasefire agreement, carrying out a sustained campaign of drone attacks and airstrikes across multiple locations in southern Lebanon throughout the day.
An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed one person and injured two others, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent. The strike targeted a vehicle on the outskirts of the town of Kawthariyat al-Siyad.
Similarly, one person was killed when Israeli forces struck the al-Deir area in Houla with two missiles.
Additionally, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that Israeli occupation aircraft conducted multiple airstrikes, hitting areas near Arnoun town while also targeting Mlita, Sejoud, Jabal Safi, and the outskirts of Bouslaiya.
