Israel struck Beirut on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, saying it targeted a commander from the group’s elite Radwan force.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the strike in a joint statement.
Israeli media reported that the commander was killed, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military or Hezbollah.
The strike hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and threatened a Lebanon ceasefire that has supported a broader U.S.-Iran truce.
The ceasefire included a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, a key Iranian demand. Israeli troops have remained in areas south of the Litani River, while strikes have continued in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has responded by firing rockets and launching armed drones toward Israeli soldiers. Israel earlier called for residents to evacuate several villages north of the Litani River, signalling a possible expansion of its area of operations.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that it was premature to discuss a high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel.
Salam said any new talks between Lebanese and Israeli government envoys in Washington should first focus on strengthening the ceasefire.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including two women and an elderly man, in Zelaya in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said Hezbollah rockets and explosive drones injured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
More than 2,700 people have been killed in Lebanon since the war began on March 2, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israel says Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones since March 2, while 17 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have been killed.
