Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Wednesday, with Tel Aviv claiming the attack killed a commander of the militant group Hezbollah, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.
The strikes came amid a United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that began on April 17.
It also came on the day US President Donald Trump told American broadcaster PBS News that he believed Washington and Tehran were close to reaching a peace deal to end the war in West Asia, though he added, “I felt that way before with them, so we’ll see what happens”.
Israel identified the Hezbollah commander killed in the attack as Malek Balou of the Radwan Force, Al Jazeera reported. The strikes were carried out in Beirut’s southern suburbs, including the Ghobeiri area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the attack, saying that he and Defence Minister Israel Katz had instructed the military to carry it out.
In a post on Telegram quoted by Al Jazeera, Netanyahu said: “Radwan terrorists are responsible for shooting at Israeli settlements and harming [Israeli army] soldiers. No terrorist has immunity.”
Hezbollah has not responded to Israel’s claims.
Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly accused each other of violating the agreement.
According to the Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 2,700 people since March 2, including dozens since the April 17 ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli military has said that 17 soldiers and a civilian contractor had also been killed in the fighting.
Trump says peace deal possible
In an interview to PBS News, Trump said that there is a “very good chance” of the conflict ending.
“And if it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them,” the broadcaster quoted him as saying.
The US president also said that it was possible that a deal could be reached before his trip to China next week.
In a social media post, Trump added that if Tehran agreed to a deal, the US military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, known as “Operation Epic Fury” would end and “the highly effective blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be open to all, including Iran”.
The US blockade of Iranian ports remains in force to monitor maritime traffic linked to Iran. Ships travelling to or from non-Iranian ports are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the blockade.
Earlier on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the initial US military campaign against Iran that began on February 28 had concluded.
The US had achieved its objectives and would not initiate further fighting, he said, adding that Washington “would prefer the path of peace” and that the president wanted a deal.
The war
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region, targeting major cities in Gulf countries and ships.
Tehran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.
The peace talks between Iran and the US that were held in Islamabad, Pakistan collapsed on April 12 but the ceasefire in the region had largely held.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
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