Europe Asia News

Israel had earlier announced that, in the airstrike it launched on Sunday on Beirut’s southern suburbs, it targeted one of Hezbollah’s most senior military commanders.

The strike has significantly heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, almost a year after 14 months of clashes came to an end with a ceasefire.

Israel has increasingly launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon this month, saying the attacks are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from mounting a military resurgence on the hills north of the de facto border.

The operation is also intended to increase pressure on Lebanese authorities and the army to move more quickly towards disarming the group, one of the core conditions of last year’s ceasefire agreement.

Before the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet that Israel would continue to fight “terror” on various fronts. “We will continue to do whatever is necessary to prevent Hezbollah from regaining its ability to threaten us,” he said.