The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed between 6:17 PM and 6:46 PM UTC on December 14, 2025, that a drone strike near Jouaiya in southern Lebanon killed Hezbollah operative Zakariya Yahya al-Hajj, a senior figure in the area who activated agents within Lebanon’s security apparatus and suppressed criticism by Hezbollah opponents, the IDF stated. Al-Hajj's activities included activating agents inside Lebanon’s security forces and acting to suppress opponents of Hezbollah, according to the IDF announcement posted by journalist Manny Fabian on X within the 28-minute reporting window. The IDF previously confirmed two other drone strikes in southern Lebanon on December 14 that killed Hezbollah operatives: one in Yater village targeting a member restoring group infrastructure, and another near Bint Jbeil eliminating the local Hezbollah representative handling economic and military liaisons with residents, as stated in earlier IDF reports. This marks the third confirmed Hezbollah killing by IDF drone strikes across southern Lebanon today, with the Jouaiya strike occurring in the afternoon.
