With Israel intensifying its strikes on Hezbollah leadership, it has emerged that one of the key commanders of the Iran-backed Shia militant group was killed in Beirut.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the slain militant leader was identified as Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, the commander of Hezbollah Southern Front.
Who was Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem?
Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem succeeded Ali Karaki as the Southern Front commander after the latter was killed alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024.
IDF said Hashem was a senior commander with more than 40 years of service in Hezbollah. "Hashem led and advanced thousands of terror attack plans against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers," it stated.
The Israeli military claimed that Hashem's death is "a significant blow to Hezbollah's ability to carry out terror operations against Israeli civilians and to manage ongoing combat against IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon."
This comes days after IDF killed journalist Ali Shoeib, who was allegedly a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. He was a journalist working for Al Manar TV channel which is run by Hezbollah.
IDF referred to Shoeib as a "terrorist" under the guise of a journalist. It alleged that he exposed locations of IDF troops along Lebanese border and in southern parts of the country.
