From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Top Hezbollah commander killed by Israeli Navy in Beirut — IDF
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, responsible for the terror group’s military activity in south Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli Navy strike in Beirut last night, the IDF announces.
The strike in the Lebanese capital killed Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, who took over the Southern Front from Ali Karaki in September 2024, after the latter was killed alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike.
Hashem was a “senior commander with over 40 years of experience and a central figure in the terror organization,” the military says.
“For years, and particularly in recent times, Hashem led and advanced thousands of terror attack plans against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” the IDF says, adding that “his elimination constitutes 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.”
Hashem is the most senior Hezbollah commander to have been killed by Israel since hostilities escalated amid the war with Iran.
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