Israel Kills Top Hezbollah Commander in Escalating Beirut Airstrike

Israel killed Ibrahim Aqil, a top Hezbollah commander, and other senior figures in an airstrike on Beirut. This marks a significant escalation in the year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Tens of thousands have been evacuated around the border, and the situation remains critically tense.

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Aqil, along with other senior members in a Friday airstrike on Beirut. This move has sharply escalated the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

Tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have been evacuated as the conflict worsens, with Hezbollah initiating rocket fires in solidarity with Palestinians. The Israeli military described Aqil as the acting commander of Hezbollah's Radwan special forces unit, noting that the strike also killed about ten other senior commanders.

Lebanon's health ministry reported 12 dead and 66 wounded in Friday's strike, with search efforts ongoing for missing persons. Despite the escalating violence, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon called for an immediate stop to the hostilities to avert further devastation.

(With inputs from agencies.)