By An Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah commander identified as Ibrahim Qubaisi, a leading figure in the group’s rocket division, according to two Lebanese security sources.
The attack, which reportedly killed six people and wounded 15 others, marks another escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This strike follows a series of Israeli airstrikes on Monday that Lebanese authorities say killed 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women.
Israel’s military chief, Herzi Halevi, stated earlier that attacks on Hezbollah would be accelerated. “The situation requires continued, intense action in all arenas,” Halevi said after a security assessment.
The ongoing violence has sparked fears of a full-scale war that could destabilize the Middle East. Israel has been shifting its focus to the northern frontier with Lebanon after nearly a year of conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas. The group announced on Tuesday that it had used a new rocket, Fadi 3, in an attack on an Israeli army base.
The escalating conflict has led to growing calls for diplomacy. UN human rights chief Volker Turk has urged all states and actors with influence to avert further escalation in Lebanon.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told MSNBC, “I believe that we can still find a path forward to get de-escalation between Israel and across that northern border between Israel and Lebanon and bring about a diplomatic solution.”
As tensions rise, there are concerns that the United States, Israel’s close ally, and Iran, which has proxies across the Middle East, could be drawn into a wider conflict.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides continuing to engage in military actions despite international calls for de-escalation.
