Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Beirut After Senior Commander’s Death

Israel carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday, hours after the group said a senior commander had been killed in an Israeli attack. The strikes triggered multiple explosions and sent plumes of smoke rising over the Lebanese capital, according to reports from the scene.

The latest attacks mark a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has intensified in recent weeks amid repeated exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border. The Israeli military has not immediately detailed the full scope of the operation, but the strikes appeared to target areas associated with Hezbollah’s presence in the densely populated southern district of Beirut.

Hezbollah announced earlier that Ibrahim Aqil, a senior commander within the group, had been killed in an Israeli strike. His death came as tensions between the two sides remained high, with both Israel and Hezbollah continuing to trade attacks across the border.

The renewed violence has raised fears of a broader regional confrontation, as diplomatic efforts to contain the fighting have so far failed to ease hostilities. Residents in Beirut reported hearing loud blasts and seeing smoke rise from the affected area as emergency crews responded.