Israel Kills Hezbollah Officer in Lebanon Airstrike Over Planned Hamas Attack
An Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah officer accused of helping Hamas plan an imminent attack on Israeli civilians, according to Israeli officials.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike, which hit a residential building in Dahiyeh, targeted and killed Hassan Ali Bdeir, a Hezbollah operative who was also linked to Iran’s Quds Force.
“Bdeir recently operated in cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, assisting them in planning and advancing a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians,” the IDF’s statement reads. “Given the immediacy of the threat, Bdeir was struck immediately by IAF forces, with the direction of the ISA (Israel Security Agency) and the Mossad.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that four people were killed and seven wounded in the strike. Among the dead were Bdeir’s son and two neighbors, a man and a woman. Witnesses said the top three floors of a residential building were destroyed. Videos circulating online showed collapsed balconies and debris covering the street.
Hezbollah confirmed Bdeir’s death but denied he was planning an attack. A party official said he mainly met with Palestinian groups and lived normally at home.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike in a post on X Tuesday, stating that Israel’s increasing aggression in Lebanon had led the country to seek support from its international allies.
“We will work with the government and its prime minister to thwart any attempt to waste this exceptional opportunity to save Lebanon,” Aoun added.
Sheikh Naim Kassem, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, warned on Saturday that if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon persist and the Lebanese government fails to take action, the group would be forced to explore other options.
The recent strike marks Israel’s second in Beirut since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in November 2024, ending over a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement called for Hezbollah to withdraw from the Israeli border and Israeli troops to pull back from Lebanese territory.
Both sides have since accused each other of violating the truce. Israel has conducted strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah officials and infrastructure in response to the group’s alleged actions near the border.
