An Israeli airstrike in Beirut has killed Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, a top Hezbollah commander responsible for the group’s missiles and rockets force, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday. The strike, which also killed other Hezbollah commanders, is part of Israel’s intensified military campaign targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon.

This airstrike marks Israel’s latest effort to neutralize Hezbollah’s military capabilities amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to Jacob Olidort, a senior policy adviser at the America First Policy Institute, Israel’s strike on Qubaisi is a proactive step to prevent future threats. “As Prime Minister Netanyahu said this week, Israel is ‘not waiting for the threat; [it is] preempting it,'” Olidort noted. He added that Israel is targeting not only Hezbollah’s missile arsenals but also its command and control structure.

The Israeli-Lebanese conflict has escalated significantly, with missile exchanges resuming between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah launched missiles at eight targets in Israel on Tuesday, while Israel’s military reported intercepting around 100 projectiles fired from Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes also hit more than 300 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours, a move intended to degrade the militant group’s operational capacity.

The situation in Lebanon is rapidly deteriorating, as health authorities reported at least 558 casualties from Israeli strikes in the past two days. This surge in violence is among the deadliest since the 2006 Lebanon War. Israeli strikes have primarily targeted Hezbollah militants, but Lebanese civilians have also been affected, leading to rising humanitarian concerns.

In the broader context, Israel’s actions in Lebanon coincide with a series of mysterious explosions in the country last week. These explosions destroyed communication devices used by Hezbollah, but Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in these incidents. As the conflict escalates, there are growing fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, complicating an already volatile regional situation.

The ongoing hostilities mark a significant intensification in the Israel-Hamas War, with Beirut emerging as a focal point in Israel’s broader campaign to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities.