Israel says top Hamas leader killed in airstrikes

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday reported that one of their airstrikes killed the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch. Fateh Sherif coordinated terrorist activities in Lebanon for the Gaza-based terrorist group, the IDF said. That included recruiting militants and obtaining weapons, the Israeli military explained. Sherif was also an accredited member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, and headed up the organization’s teacher’s union in Lebanon, Israel added. Israel has long accused the United Nations humanitarian agency of inappropriate connections to terrorist groups.

What’s this about a leader’s death? Sherif’s death came just days after the IDF stated on social media that the leader of the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah was dead. Israeli airstrikes killed Hassan Nasrallah when they struck Hezbollah’s underground central headquarters in Beirut, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Saturday. Nasrallah oversaw thousands of Hezbollah airstrikes on Israeli targets during his time leading the terrorist organization, Hagari said. He added that Nasrallah was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israeli men, women, and children.

At the time of Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah was planning an Oct. 7-style attack against Israel in which Hezbollah militants would infiltrate Israeli communities and kill Israeli civilians, Hagari said. Several other high-ranking Hezbollah leaders died in the strike on the organization’s Beirut headquarters, Hagari added. The IDF touted its success in eliminating nearly a dozen of Hezbollah’s key leaders on social media on Saturday. An account affiliated with Hezbollah on the social media app Telegram confirmed Nasrallah’s death, as well as the deaths of several other key officials.

Is Israel still carrying out more strikes in Lebanon? After claiming credit for Nasrallah’s death, the IDF reported that it was still conducting precision strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah targets. Those included facilities where Hezbollah militants were building missiles and rocket launchers, the IDF said.

Additionally, the Israeli military on Sunday struck several targets affiliated with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the IDF said. The airstrikes hit power plants, military supplies, and oil stockpiles. Israeli missiles also struck a seaport Houthi militants were allegedly using to transport Iranian-supplied weapons into the country.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions analyzing what Hassan Nasrallah’s death means for the conflict in the Middle East.