Hezbollah financier killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

On the morning of June 24, Hezbollah-linked financier Haitham Bakri was killed in a targeted Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, according to local outlet Janoubia.

The strike took place in the Nabatieh area, where an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle reportedly launched two missiles at a vehicle. The attack killed Bakri, along with his two adult sons, Muhammad and Abdullah.

Bakri, who owned a currency exchange business in the southern suburbs of Beirut, was reported to have maintained financial ties to Hezbollah and to have worked closely with the group’s activists.

These developments come despite a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel that has been in effect since November 27, 2024. The deal brought an end to over a year of cross-border hostilities that were sparked by the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.

Nevertheless, the Israeli military has continued to carry out intermittent strikes in Lebanese territory, stating that such actions are intended to neutralise Hezbollah “threats.”

By Tamilla Hasanova