Israel says it killed Hezbollah operative in east Lebanon

The Israeli army said Wednesday that it killed a Hezbollah operative in the Bekaa region of east Lebanon who it said was directing militant cells in Syria.

"Yesterday evening (Tuesday), the (Israeli air force)... struck the terrorist Hossam Qasem Ghorab, a Hezbollah terrorist who operated from Lebanese territory to direct terrorist cells in Syria," the army said in a statement.

The Syria-based cells "planned to launch rocket attacks toward the Golan Heights," it added, referring the area annexed by Israel following the 1967 war with Syria.

Lebanon's cabinet on Tuesday tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm militant group Hezbollah by the end of the year, an unprecedented step since civil war factions gave up their weapons decades ago.

The decision followed heavy U.S. pressure and came as part of implementing a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah including two months of all-out war.

The confrontation left the militant group badly weakened, though it retains part of its arsenal.