Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 09 Apr 2026, 05:35 am Print
Lebanon Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Masoud Shahrestani
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed on Thursday that it had killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, the nephew of Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, during an overnight airstrike in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
The operation forms part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign targeting the Iran-backed group in Lebanon.
According to the Israeli military, Harshi served as the personal secretary to Naim Qassem, and he was within the inner circle of the group’s command structure.
Strike hits Beirut’s Tallet Khayat area
Israeli officials said the strike specifically targeted Harshi in Beirut’s Tallet Khayat neighbourhood, located near the group’s stronghold in the Dahiyeh district.
??? BREAKING: New Israeli Airstrike on Central Beirut - Tallet Al Khayat pic.twitter.com/ZI3E0DSAQx
— Political Pen (@politicalpen_) April 8, 2026
Visuals from the site showed significant structural damage, including the partial collapse of a multi-storey residential building following the impact.
The operation highlights Israel’s continued focus on urban targets linked to Hezbollah’s leadership and operational network.
Expanded operations across southern Lebanon
In addition to the Beirut strike, the Israeli military reported targeting strategic infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
The aftermath of yesterday’s Israeli strike on the key Qasmiyeh Bridge over Lebanon’s Litani River, near the southern city of Tyre. https://t.co/FdFhqNKMJE pic.twitter.com/ZoDhXY9MdM
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 9, 2026
The IDF stated that it struck two key crossings over the Litani River, which it claims Hezbollah uses to transport weapons, rockets, and launch systems into the southern region.
The military further indicated that approximately ten weapons depots, rocket launch sites, and operational headquarters associated with Hezbollah were also hit during the same phase of operations.
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