Israel Claims Killing of Hezbollah Commander in Beirut Airstrike

Kathmandu. Israel has claimed that a commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. 

This was the first Israeli attack in Beirut since the ceasefire last month. In a statement released on Thursday, the Israeli army said that a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in a targeted airstrike in the southern Beirut area. 

However, Hezbollah has not immediately confirmed the claim. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had announced the military operation in a joint statement on Wednesday. 

This attack has created new pressure on the recently established Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Although Israeli attacks in Beirut have stopped since the ceasefire, the Israeli army is still deployed in the area south of the Litani River. 

It has been continuously conducting air and military operations in southern Lebanon. In response, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been launching rockets and armed drones at Israeli soldiers. 

According to analysts, the ceasefire in Lebanon has become an important part of controlling the broader Iran-Israel tension. It is said that stopping Israeli attacks on Lebanon is one of Iran's main demands in the ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington. Therefore, it is feared that the recent attack in Beirut could also affect the atmosphere of the talks. 

Israel had warned residents of some villages north of the Litani River on Wednesday to vacate the area immediately. This has been seen as a sign of expanding the scope of Israeli military operations. 

Meanwhile, although talks between Lebanon and Israel are ongoing, these talks have been mainly limited to the ambassadorial level. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that it would be premature to discuss a high-level Israel-Lebanon meeting at this time. He said that the situation is still sensitive and efforts to de-escalate tensions must continue.