Hamas, Hezbollah commanders killed in IDF strikes in Lebanon
Early-morning strike kills top operations officer in Palestinian terror group, a day after attack eliminates senior logistics commander for Hezbollah
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Hamas commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern coastal Lebanese city of Sidon early Wednesday morning, the military said.
The Israel Defense Forces said the target, Khaled Ahmad al-Ahmad, served as chief of operations in the terror group’s western sector in Lebanon.
Ahmad had advanced numerous attacks on Israeli civilians and troops during the war, the IDF said, adding that, “Recently, he worked to transfer weapons and to carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel.”
The strike was carried out because “Ahmad’s activities posed a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens,” the military added.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an “enemy drone” hit a car in the Sidon’s Villas neighborhood, near the Imam Ali Mosque. Pictures showed a Renault on fire.
Hamas confirmed al-Ahmad’s death, saying he was a field commander.
⭕️ كتائب القسام:
– نزف القائد القسامي الميداني خالد أحمد الأحمد "أبو إبراهيم" (من بلدة نحف الفلسطينية المحتلة – قضاء عكا)، والذي ارتقى شهيداً ضمن معركة طوفان الأقصى، فجر اليوم الأربعاء؛ إثر عملية اغتيال نفّذتها طائرات الغدر الصهيونية على مدينة صيدا جنوب لبنان.
– إننا وإذ… pic.twitter.com/wk53A8SelC
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 7, 2025
Hamas, which rules Gaza, has a significant presence in Lebanon and is allied with the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group. Both are backed by Iran.
The attack came a day after the IDF killed a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.
Tuesday’s strike killed Adnan Harb, who the military said headed Hezbollah’s logistics array in the terror group’s Badr regional division. The regional unit is tasked with the area north of the Litani River.
The IDF said Harb, as part of his role, worked to restore Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities, as well as restore infrastructure in areas south of the Litani River.
“The terrorist worked to transfer weapons within Lebanese territory between the various units in the organization. His actions constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF added.
⚡️????تم تأكيد صحة الغارة الإسرائيلية التي استهدفت بلدة #كفررمان #النبطية في #جنوب_لبنان، وأسفرت عن استشهاد القائد في “حزب الله” #الحاج_عدنان_حرب، وذلك وفقًا لمصادر إعلامية موثوقة. #حزب_الله ???? pic.twitter.com/7Hj9NBSzKm
— ????يا بقية الله???? (@jihanhodrog) May 6, 2025
A November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting, including some two months of open war, between Israel and Hezbollah. The fighting began on October 8, 2023, when the Iran-backed terror group started attacking Israel daily with missiles and drones, in support of Hamas.
The ceasefire allows Israel to strike immediate threats, and near-daily strikes against Hezbollah operatives and their allies have continued. More than 140 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since the start of the ceasefire.
Lebanon’s president said last week that the country’s army now controls more than 85 percent of the country’s south, from which Hezbollah was obligated to withdraw under the ceasefire, though there has been no outside confirmation of the claim.
Israel was also obligated to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. It has pulled out from all but five strategic posts.
The Times of Israel Community.