Beirut, Lebanon — Israel announced on Tuesday that it conducted an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir, an operative linked to Hezbollah and Iran’s Quds Force.
In a rare joint statement, Israel’s military, the Mossad intelligence agency, and the Shin Bet internal security service stated they “struck and eliminated” Bdeir during an overnight operation. They identified him as a member of Hezbollah’s Unit 3900 and Iran’s Quds Force, accusing him of aiding Hamas in planning “a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians.” The statement emphasized that the strike was necessary to neutralize an “immediate threat.”
The airstrike targeted the Sfeir area without prior warning in the early hours of Tuesday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The attack resulted in at least three deaths and seven injuries.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the airstrike, labeling it a “hostile” act against Lebanon. In a statement from the presidential office, Aoun called for intensified efforts to mobilize Lebanon’s allies to defend the nation’s sovereignty and to prevent any external violations or internal destabilization.
This incident marks the second airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs since a ceasefire agreement was reached between Hezbollah and Israel in late 2024, which had ended over a year of hostilities linked to the Gaza conflict. Despite the truce, Israeli forces have occasionally carried out strikes in Lebanon, citing threats from Hezbollah.
Tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border remain high, with Israel maintaining a military presence at several strategic locations, despite a deadline under the ceasefire agreement calling for a full withdrawal.
