Jerusalem, 28 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck a senior member of an Iran-linked militia in Beirut on Thursday, the first attack in the Lebanese capital since May 6.
An Israeli security source said the target was Ali al-Hisani, the head of the missile unit of the Imam Hussein Division, a formation linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and operating in coordination with Hezbollah. The results of the strike were not immediately clear.
The Imam Hussein Division is assessed by Israeli security officials as an Iran-backed unit that previously operated in Syria. Following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime, it reportedly relocated to Lebanon, where its command structure is shared between Hezbollah and the IRGC’s Quds Force. The group is said to receive funding, direction, and operational guidance from Iran.
The unit has previously been involved in launching drones and missiles toward northern Israeli communities in coordination with Hezbollah.
In recent days, senior Israeli defense officials warned that Beirut was no longer immune from potential Israeli strikes.
The escalation comes amid heightened tensions along Israel’s northern border. The security source said the political leadership has granted the IDF broad operational latitude following repeated Hezbollah drone attacks. On Thursday morning, the IDF announced that Sgt. Rotem Yanai, a 20-year-old non-commissioned officer, was killed and two other soldiers were injured in a drone attack on the Israeli side of the border.
According to the IDF, Israeli forces struck more than 135 Hezbollah targets over the last 24 hours.