MIDDLE EAST, 01 April 2026 (NPA) — The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has announced the targeting and killing of Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, in a precision airstrike. According to an IDF statement on Wednesday, Hashem was eliminated by the Israeli Navy in Beirut. He was described as a senior commander with more than 40 years of experience, a central figure in Hezbollah’s leadership, who oversaw its rehabilitation and directed attacks against Israel.
Within the last 24 hours, the IDF also confirmed the killing of Mahdi Vafaei, Head of the Engineering Branch of the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps, in the Mahallat area of Iran. Vafaei was accused of advancing underground projects across Lebanon and Syria, leading efforts to establish and manage subterranean terrorist infrastructure for Hezbollah and the Assad regime.
Additionally, Ibrahim al-Khaldi, identified as a Hamas naval force operative, was killed in Nuseirat. The IDF described al-Khaldi as a source of expertise in maritime operations, responsible for planning and advancing terror attacks against Israeli troops from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it has concluded inquiries into the deaths of two Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The troops were reported killed by an explosive device in the Bani Haiyyan area. The IDF’s operational review determined that no explosive device was planted by Israeli forces and that no IDF troops were present in the area at the time.
A statement from the IDF read in part: “The IDF is operating against Hezbollah, and not against UNIFIL, the Lebanese Armed Forces, or Lebanese civilians.”
The military further urged UNIFIL to avoid presence in combat zones where evacuation warnings have been issued to civilians for their safety.
