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In southern Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in Rashidieh, near the city of Tyre, killing Khader Shaaib Hashem, the commander of Hezbollah’s naval forces within its elite Radwan Unit.
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Footage of the elimnations of Hezbollah's naval forces commander
(Video: IDF)
The IDF accused Hashem, who had been with Hezbollah for two decades, of facilitating arms smuggling via maritime routes and planning attacks against Israel’s navy, including during a recent cease-fire. “His activities posed a direct threat to Israel and violated existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said.
Footage published by Lebanese media showed the aftermath of the strike, with the targeted vehicle engulfed in flames. Hezbollah did not immediately confirm the commander’s death.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF expanded the military operation in Jenin overnight, moving into additional neighborhoods using armored personnel carriers. The raid, led by special Border Police undercover units along with soldiers from the Menashe Brigade, targeted Hamas terrorists in the area.
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During the operation, Israeli forces killed Isr Saadi, identified as Hamas’ commander in Jenin, along with another terrorist, the IDF said. Three other suspects were arrested. A subsequent search of the building where Saadi was hiding uncovered an M-16 rifle, a handgun and other weapons.
“The intensified operations in Jenin’s refugee camp are forcing militants to flee and expose themselves to our forces,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said, vowing to continue counterterrorism efforts across the region.
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Jenin during IDF operations in the area
In a separate incident, a suspected terrorist approaching Israeli troops near the settlement of Homesh was shot and killed by soldiers from the 931st Battalion of the Nahal Brigade. The military reported no Israeli casualties.
Further south, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man near the Philadelphi Corridor, a security buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt. The military said the man, though unarmed, was deemed an immediate threat to soldiers.
Palestinian media reported heavy Israeli gunfire targeting homes in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood. The escalation comes amid heightened tensions over the potential resumption of hostilities in Gaza, following the collapse of a temporary cease-fire, the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries, and Hamas’ rejection of a U.S.-mediated proposal for an extended truce.
“The IDF will continue operating to remove any threats to Israeli civilians and troops,” the IDF said in a statement.