The IDF said it killed senior Hezbollah commander Abu Hassan Alaa in strikes in Deir Ez-Zahrani and also struck a Hezbollah headquarters in Ansar, killing Radwan Force battalion commander Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan. The military said both operations were retaliation after three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded over the weekend and stated that family members present were not the intended targets. The Prime Minister's Office accused Hezbollah of placing civilians in military compounds and using them as human shields to try to attribute civilian harm to Israel.
IDF Says It Killed Senior Hezbollah Commander in Southern Lebanon Strikes After Three Soldiers Wounded
Explosion of infrastructure in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side. August 10, 2026. (photo credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it killed senior Hezbollah commander Abu Hassan Alaa during weekend strikes in the Deir Ez-Zahrani area of southern Lebanon. The military identified Alaa as a commander in Hezbollah's Bader Unit and said he had planned and carried out attacks on IDF soldiers operating in the region.
The IDF said its actions coincided with strikes on a Hezbollah headquarters in Ansar, where Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force, was also killed. The military described both operations as retaliation for a weekend incident that left three IDF soldiers seriously wounded.
The IDF said Hassan's family was present inside the Ansar headquarters at the time of the strike but emphasized that "family members were not the target" and that Hassan was a lawful military target under international law. The statement also accused Hassan of using his family as human shields by remaining alongside them inside the military compound. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for placing civilians in its compounds.
IDF soldiers operate in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah terrorists, published March 20, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
The Prime Minister's Office said it had been unaware that Hezbollah had placed civilians inside the military compound and accused the group of deliberately using civilians to try to blame Israel for any resulting civilian casualties.
An accompanying photograph, credited to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, shows IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and was published on March 20, 2026.
Shoshana Baker and Corinne Baum contributed to this report.
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