The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said today that it has killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, personal secretary of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in Beirut. Harshi was also a nephew of the Hezbollah chief who heads the Lebanese group backed by Iran. 

 

In a statement, the IDF said that it has also hit two key crossings used by Hezbollah for moving weapons south of the Litani River and 10 weapons storage sites, launchers and command centres in southern Lebanon. The development comes a day after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire agreement. IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said that Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah and use every operational opportunity. 

 

Meanwhile, Reuven Azar, the Ambassador of Israel to India, today reiterated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Lebanon is not part of the ongoing two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. In an exclusive interview with a news agency, the Israeli envoy said, ‘Israel has made this clear, and the American administration has also confirmed it. Ambassador Azar said the Lebanese government had committed to disarming Hezbollah, but that has not happened. He said, ‘Israel is defending itself, especially its border communities, which have been heavily targeted by Iranian missiles and anti-tank weaponry.’ He added that they have destroyed Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons and set the programme back by years.