An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday killed four people in Beirut's southern suburbs, including a Hezbollah official.
The Israeli military identified the deceased official, Hassan Bdeir, as both a member of Hezbollah's military wing and Iran's Quds Force. They stated he had been assisting Hamas militants in planning what they described as “a significant and imminent terrorist attack against Israeli civilians”.
Hezbollah confirmed Bdeir's death, noting he was killed alongside his son, who was also a member of the organisation.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Bdeir served as a mid-ranking commander with particular responsibility for Palestinian affairs.
Hezbollah parliamentarian Ibrahim Moussawi, who visited the bombed site, condemned the attack as “a major and severe aggression that has escalated the situation to an entirely different level”. He urged the Lebanese government to “activate the highest level of diplomacy to find solutions”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar maintained that Bdeir represented “a real and immediate threat”, adding: “We expect Lebanon to take action to uproot terrorist organisations operating within its borders against Israel.”
