Israeli military claims Hezbollah chief's secretary killed in Beirut airstrike
What's the story
The Israeli military has claimed that the personal secretary of Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday. Ali Yusuf Harshi, who was also Qassem's nephew, was targeted in a strike in Beirut's Tallet Khayat neighborhood. "Harshi was a close associate and personal advisor to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and played a central role in managing his office and his security," the military said in a statement.
Leadership change
Conflicting reports emerge
Reuters initially reported that it was Qassem who was killed in the airstrike but later said it was the nephew. Qassem was appointed as Hezbollah's leader after the death of his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah in 2024. Nasrallah was killed by Israel in an airstrike on a Beirut suburb. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 by Shi'ite militants in Lebanon with support from Iran's Revolutionary Guards to resist Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon at the time.
Attack
The attacks killed at least 254 people
Israeli strikes on Wednesday hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut, killing hundreds and wounding more than 1,000 others. Israel hailed it as the largest wave of air attacks in the conflict, striking over 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites in 10 minutes. According to Lebanon's Civil Defense, the attacks killed at least 254 people and injured 1,165 others.
Pakistan
Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal, say Trump and Netanyahu
The air strikes came hours after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week truce, with mediator Pakistan stating that Lebanon was included in the truce. However, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that the truce excluded Lebanon. "We are continuing to hit Hezbollah," he said. US President Donald Trump also confirmed to PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of the Hezbollah group. When asked about Israel's latest strikes, he said, "That's a separate skirmish."