---
title: "Israel kills a Hamas commander in Lebanon, further testing ceasefire"
description: "BEIRUT, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel killed a commander of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Friday, further testing a ceasefire that halted last year's war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Middle East conflict"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-04-israel-kills-a-hamas-commander-in-lebanon-further-testing-ceasefire/"
published: "2025-04-04T12:11:54"
updated: "2025-04-04T12:11:56"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 217
---

# Israel kills a Hamas commander in Lebanon, further testing ceasefire

> BEIRUT, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel killed a commander of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Friday, further testing a ceasefire that halted last year's war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

By Reuters · Published 4 April 2025, 14:11 SAST · Updated 4 April 2025, 14:11 SAST

## Key points
- In a dramatic turn of events, the Israeli military has taken out militant Hassan Farhat—along with his family—while he was presumably enjoying a quiet evening in Sidon, proving that in this volatile region, the ceasefire is about as sturdy as a sandcastle at high tide.
- Israeli military confirms the assassination of militant Hassan Farhat, linked to a deadly rocket attack on Safed last year.
- Farhat, along with his children, was killed in a strike in Sidon, prompting Hamas to laud his contributions against Israel.
- The attack has been condemned by Lebanese officials as a breach of the U.S.-backed ceasefire following last year's conflict with Hezbollah.
- Tensions escalate as Israel conducts strikes in Beirut and rockets are fired from Lebanon, despite Hezbollah denying involvement.

## Content

The Israeli military said the targeted militant, Hassan Farhat, was behind a rocket attack on the city of Safed last year that killed and wounded several Israeli soldiers. It vowed to act against Hamas fighters "wherever they operate".

A security source said Farhat was killed along with his son and daughter in the strike in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon. Hamas' armed wing the al-Qassam Brigades said Farhat was assassinated in his apartment in Sidon, and praised his "blessed contributions" to the confrontation with Israel over the years.

Hamas and Hezbollah are allies, and Hezbollah launched a campaign of cross border strikes on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian group in 2023. Israel responded with a major air and ground campaign in Lebanon last year that killed much of the Hezbollah leadership.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's office said Friday's Israeli attack was a clear violation of a U.S.-backed ceasefire which ended last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The ceasefire has appeared increasingly precarious in recent weeks, with Israel striking the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut twice and rockets being fired on two occasions from Lebanon towards Israel.

Hezbollah has denied any role in the recent rocket fire.

(Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Writing by Tala Ramadan and Tom PerryEditing by Mark Heinrich and Peter Graff)