The Israeli Navy struck a hotel room in central Beirut overnight Saturday, killing five senior commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, the extraterritorial branch responsible for overseas operations, the Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday.
The strike targeted the Ramada Hotel in the Raouche district. The operation marked the first time Israeli forces have struck central Beirut since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel following the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran that began February 28. The Lebanese health ministry initially reported at least four dead and 10 injured.
The IDF identified the targets as members of the Quds Force’s Palestine and Lebanon corps who coordinated funding, intelligence, and operations between Tehran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Among those killed was Majid Hassini, a senior financial officer the IDF said oversaw the transfer of approximately $770 million from Iran to Hezbollah over the past year. Also eliminated were Ali Reza Bi-Azar, head of intelligence for the Lebanon Corps, and Ahmad Rasouli, intelligence chief for the Palestine Corps.
🔴The IDF eliminated 5 senior commanders in the IRGC Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps in a precise strike in Beirut pic.twitter.com/GAtUaggrwJ
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 8, 2026
Hossein Ahmadlou, a Lebanon Corps intelligence operative, and Abu Muhammad Ali, described as Hezbollah’s liaison to the Palestine Corps, were also killed.
“The Iranian terror regime operates systematically in the heart of the civilian population in Iran and Lebanon, cynically exploiting the civilian population as human shields,” the IDF stated.
The military said it warned hotel occupants before the strike and used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to limit civilian casualties. The Ramada had been sheltering civilians displaced by fighting in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district.
The operation follows a rapid Israeli campaign against senior IRGC figures. Last week, the IDF killed Daoud Alizadeh, acting commander of the Lebanon Corps, in a strike in Tehran. A separate Beirut strike killed Reza Khazaei, the corps’ chief of staff.
The hotel strike came days after Israel warned Iranian officials to leave Lebanon within 24 hours or face targeting. More than 150 Iranian nationals, including diplomats and their families, subsequently departed Lebanon, Reuters reported.
