NZIV -- An Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Ain Baal over the weekend killed Wasim Said Jibai, known as “Haj Mahdi,” a senior Hezbollah military commander.
Lebanese sources and reports close to Hezbollah confirmed his identity, noting that he was a prominent figure from the village of Itat and a resident of Hanawiya, where Hezbollah held a military funeral attended by commanders and party cadres. Images circulated after the strike showed Jibai alongside slain Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The IDF said Jibai played a central role in strengthening the Iranian-backed Imam Hussein Division, an ally of Hezbollah, and was key in advancing weapons procurement and rocket-launching plans against Israel during the war.
According to the army, he also led efforts to rebuild the division and coordinated its current activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah. The division, loyal to Iran’s Quds Force, has been used to bolster the “axis of resistance” and to carry out operations against Israel and its citizens.