A senior Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, according to a source within Hezbollah. The airstrike, which hit a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, also claimed the lives of two others and left 17 people injured, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The Israeli military confirmed it carried out a "targeted strike" in Beirut as part of the ongoing conflict that has intensified since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7. Aqil, who led Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit, was reportedly the primary target of the strike.

This marks the third airstrike on Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Beirut since the war erupted. The violence in the region has steadily escalated, shifting the focus from Gaza to Lebanon. Hezbollah, which has been involved in frequent exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the border, fired dozens of rockets into Israel earlier on Friday. In response, Israeli forces launched airstrikes aimed at Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah recently vowed retaliation for Israeli attacks on the group's communication networks, which had killed dozens of Hezbollah members and caused widespread disruption. While Israel has not commented on these specific incidents, it has focused increasingly on Hezbollah amid concerns that the conflict with Hamas in Gaza could spill over into a broader regional confrontation.

As cross-border attacks continue, fears of a wider war loom, with hundreds of fighters and civilians killed on both sides. Residents in the border regions of Lebanon and Israel have fled their homes as the violence intensifies.

The United Nations and various international bodies have expressed concern over the rising casualties and the potential for further escalation, calling for restraint on all sides. The situation remains tense as both Hezbollah and Israel prepare for further confrontations.

Lebanese authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosive attacks on Hezbollah's communication devices, with preliminary reports suggesting they were booby-trapped before reaching Lebanon.

The conflict continues to draw global attention, with international mediators attempting to prevent a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, as the Gaza war shows no sign of de-escalation.