Beirut/Jerusalem, Sept 24 (Reuters/GNA) – An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East.
Israel’s military said the airstrike on the Lebanese capital killed Ibrahim Qubaisi, who it said was the commander of Hezbollah’s missiles and rocket force. Two security sources in Lebanon described him as a leading figure in the Iran-backed group’s rocket division.
The attack dealt another blow to Hezbollah after a series of setbacks at the hands of Israel over the past week, and Israel later said it was carrying out “extensive strikes” on Hezbollah targets.
The pressure on Hezbollah has increased fears that nearly a year of conflict will explode and destabilise the oil-producing Middle East, where a war between Hamas and Israel is already raging in Gaza.
Israel is shifting its focus from Gaza to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran.
The Israeli government has made securing its northern border and allowing the return there of residents displaced by the conflict a war priority, setting the stage for a long conflict, while Hezbollah has vowed that it will not back down until a ceasefire is reached in the war in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to pound Hezbollah targets and urged Lebanese citizens to escape the grip of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“Anyone who has a missile in their living room and a rocket in their garage will not have a home,” Netanyahu said at an army base at an undisclosed location after the military said it had found ammunition in people’s homes.
“Our war is not with you, our war is with Hezbollah. Nasrallah is leading you to the brink of the abyss…Rid yourself from Nasrallah’s grip, for your own good.”
Israel has accused Hezbollah of hiding its weapons in homes and villages in Lebanon, allegations the Lebanese group denies.
GNA/Credit: Reuters