Israel Kills Hezbollah Leader’s Adviser Amid Massive Strike Wave

The high-profile elimination came against the backdrop of the largest Israeli strike wave since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.

By United with Israel Staff

The Israel Defense Forces killed a senior Hezbollah figure in Beirut, targeting the personal secretary of the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, as part of a massive wave of strikes across Lebanon.

According to the military, Ali Yusuf Harshi, a close adviser and nephew of Qassem, was killed in a strike in Beirut. The IDF said Harshi played a central role in managing the Hezbollah leader’s office and was involved in his security and operational coordination.

The high-profile elimination came against the backdrop of the largest Israeli strike wave since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.

In a coordinated operation carried out within minutes, the Israeli military struck roughly 100 Hezbollah command centers and military infrastructure sites across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon.

The targets included intelligence headquarters and command centers used to plan attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, as well as infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah’s fire and naval units responsible for missile launches. Assets linked to elite Hezbollah units, including the Radwan Force and the group’s aerial unit, were also targeted.

Israeli forces also struck two key transit routes used by Hezbollah to move weapons from north to south of the Litani River, as well as approximately 10 weapons depots, launchers, and command posts in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said the operation was based on precise intelligence and had been planned over several weeks, involving coordination between Military Intelligence, the Air Force, the Operations Directorate, and Northern Command.

According to the military, many of the targeted sites were embedded within civilian areas, reflecting what it described as Hezbollah’s systematic use of civilian infrastructure to shield its activities. The IDF said steps were taken to minimize harm to civilians.

The strikes mark a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, which joined the war alongside Iran and has continued to target Israeli territory.

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the military will continue its operations without pause.

“We will continue to strike the Hezbollah terrorist organization and seize every opportunity,” Zamir said during the operation. “We will not compromise on the security of northern residents. We will continue to attack without interruption.”