Israel has struck Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah was reached. Israel said the strike targeted the commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan unit in the southern suburbs of the city.
Israeli media reported that the commander was killed in the strike, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military or Hezbollah.
The ceasefire in Lebanon had been the basis for a broader rapprochement between the United States and Iran, with an end to Israeli strikes on Lebanon a key Iranian demand.
While Iran and the United States have said they are close to a ceasefire, the strikes threaten to undermine a ceasefire that has halted Israeli attacks on Beirut. Israeli forces remain in areas south of the Litani River, and strikes in southern Lebanon continue.
Iran’s ally Hezbollah has responded by firing at Israeli soldiers and launching armed drones.
Israel had earlier called on residents to evacuate several villages north of the Litani River, which could mean an expansion of Israel’s combat zone. Talks between Israel and Lebanon are continuing, but mostly at the ambassadorial level.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it was too early to discuss a high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel.
