Israel says strike in Jnah targeted Hezbollah commander for southern front

An Israeli strike in the Jnah area of Beirut early on Wednesday killed Hezbollah's top commander for Iraq military affairs, Youssef Hashem, a Lebanese security source and a Hezbollah source both told AFP.

The security source said "a senior Hezbollah official, who is the military chief for the Iraq file, named Youssef Hashem, was killed in the strike on the Jnah area in Beirut," adding that "he was in a meeting inside a tent near several vehicles".

A source close to Hezbollah confirmed the information, while the health ministry announced a final toll of seven people killed in the strike.

The Israeli army said Hashem was the commander of the southern front unit after he succeeded Ali Karaki who was killed in September 2024.