Tensions Soar as Hezbollah Leader's Funeral Follows Deadly Airstrike

Mourners turned out in large numbers for the funeral of Hezbollah's top military commander, Haytham Tabtabai, killed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The strike, justified by Israel as necessary to thwart Hezbollah's military activities, has heightened tensions and sparked international concerns about potential escalation.

Thousands gathered in Beirut Monday for the funeral of a top military commander from Hezbollah, following his death in an Israeli airstrike. The airstrike, targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, marked the first since June and killed Haytham Tabtabai, identified by the Israeli military as Hezbollah's chief of staff.

The mourning procession carried Tabtabai's coffin, adorned with Hezbollah's yellow flag, through a cemetery south of Beirut where many of the group's fighters are buried. The strike, which Lebanon's Health Ministry said killed a total of five people and wounded 28, has elevated tensions in the region.

The strike has sparked international concern, with France urging all parties to adhere to the ceasefire mechanism. Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have reportedly increased, amid pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, which the Lebanese government supports yet lacks the resources to enforce.

(With inputs from agencies.)