Israel Says Hezbollah Chief’s Nephew Killed in Beirut Airstrike

Israel on Thursday said that it had killed the nephew of Naim Qassem, head of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, in an overnight air strike on Beirut.
The Israeli military said in a post on X said they had targeted and killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, who was the nephew as well as personal secretary of Naim Qassem in the strike overnight.

🔴ELIMINATED: Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in Beirut.
A close associate and personal advisor, Harshi played a key role in managing and securing Qassem’s office.
The IDF also struck two key crossings used Hezbollah to…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 9, 2026
Israel’s claim comes amid the recent ceasefire deal between US and Iran. On Wednesday after the Islamic Republic closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, reports the Associated Press.
At the same time, Israel intensified its attacks on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, hitting commercial and residential areas in Beirut. More than 250 people were killed Wednesday in the deadliest day of fighting there.
Israel carries out largest strike in Lebanon hours after ceasefire deal
Israel carried out ‘the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon’ as quoted the IDF hours after the ceasefire deal between the US and Iran, striking more than 100 targets in 10 minutes and killing around 250 people. In response, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, reported the Associated Press. 
However, the mediator Pakan’s Prime Miner, Shehbaz Sharif, had posted on X on April 8 that Iran and the United States of America, “along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.”

JD Vance says Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal
Vance on Wednesday urged Iran not to let the fragile ceasefire deal fall apart over Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
As Iran’s president said a truce in Lebanon was a key condition for ending the Middle East war, Vance said he believed there had been a “legitimate misunderstanding”, reports the New York Times. Story continues below this ad
Israel says ‘we do not trust Pakan as a credible player’ 
Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has said that Tel Aviv doesn’t trust Pakan as a ‘credible player’, despite Islamabad functioning as a mediator between Iran and the US.
In an interview with news agency ANI,  “We don’t see Pakan as a credible player. I think that the United States has decided to use the services of the facilitation of Pakan for their own reasons. We have seen in the past how the United States has managed to take problematic states like Qatar and Turkey and use them for the benefit of achieving an agreement with Hamas… For us, it is very important to stay in sync with the United States when it comes to the substance and the essence of the outcome we want to see.”