The Israeli army said it has killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Youssef Ismail Hashem, in a naval strike, as it widened its warnings in Lebanon to include individuals it accuses of handling the group’s finances.
The military described Hashem as Hezbollah’s “southern front commander”, adding he had more than 40 years of experience and was one of Hezbollah’s “major pillars”.
A security source told AFP that Hashem, also known as Sayyed al-Sadeq, was responsible for Hezbollah’s military and security file in Iraq and was killed in a strike on the Jnah area of Beirut. Lebanon’s health ministry said the attack killed seven people.
The source noted that Hashem “was in a meeting with other party members inside a tent near several vehicles” at the time of the attack.
A source close to Hezbollah confirmed the killing, describing him as “the most senior official targeted since the start of the war”. Hezbollah also announced the death of one of its members, Mohammad Baqer al-Nabulsi, who was killed in the same strike.
US sanctions
Hashem has been under US sanctions since 2018 for working for or on behalf of Hezbollah, according to the US Treasury.
The Treasury noted that he oversaw Hezbollah’s operational activities in Iraq and was responsible for protecting the group’s interests there.
It added that he managed relations with armed groups in Iraq, including coordinating the deployment of fighters to Syria.
Senior figure
Hashem is the most senior military figure killed since the start of the war, succeeding Ali Karaki, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike that targeted former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024.
Israel had previously targeted lower-ranking commanders, including Hassan Salameh, head of Hezbollah’s “Nasr Unit”, who was killed on March 10.
According to Israeli media, Hezbollah’s southern front is divided into three sectors — the Nasr, Aziz and Badr units — which operate independently, with Hashem overseeing all three.
Warnings broadened
Israel has expanded its warnings in Lebanon to include “money changers working in the service of Hezbollah”.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that the military had targeted Hezbollah funding sources during the war, including the Al-Qard al-Hassan association and fuel networks.
“Another source that has been targeted is the network of money changers, which constitutes the main and most important financial source for this terrorist organization,” he added.
He named Mohammad Noureddine and Hussein Ibrahim as key money changers working for Hezbollah.
Addressing them directly, he said: “Due to your involvement in financing Hezbollah, the IDF warns you that continuing to fund Hezbollah puts you at risk.”
He also urged Lebanese citizens to avoid “any contact with Hezbollah money changers” and to “stay away from them” for their own safety.
Security zone plans
The intensified strikes come as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “at the end of the operation, the Israeli army will establish a security zone inside Lebanon along a defensive line against anti-tank missiles”.
He added that Israel would maintain security control over the area up to the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border.
Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa condemned the remarks, saying they “no longer constitute mere threats, but reflect a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory”.
