Israel's military has killed a senior member of the militant group Hezbollah in an air strike on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, despite a ceasefire.
It described Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai, Hezbollah's chief of staff, as a veteran of the group who had held a series of senior positions.
Lebanon's health ministry said at least five people were killed and 28 others wounded in the strike, which hit an apartment building in the densely populated Dahieh district.
Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai's death, adding Israel had crossed a red line in carrying out the strike.
The strike is Israel's first on southern Beirut for months and comes as Israel has escalated its campaign on people and targets it says are linked to Hezbollah - a Shia Muslim group supported by Iran - despite a ceasefire brokered by the US and France that came into effect last November.
Israeli officials say Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its military capabilities, is smuggling weapons into Lebanon and stepping up the production of explosive drones as an alternative to rockets and missiles. There are growing fears of an escalation of hostilities.
In a statement after the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the State of Israel.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks and withdraw from the country, citing a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
A Western diplomatic official indicated that the Lebanese authorities are under pressure from the US to take stronger action against Hezbollah, which the US considers a terrorist organization.
The ongoing conflict reignited after Hezbollah started firing rockets at Israeli positions following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
Israel's airstrike has intensified concerns over civilian casualties, as attacks have reportedly killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over 1.2 million residents amid ongoing violence.
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