Tel aviv: The Israeli army announced on Sunday that it had killed Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, during a strike in the Ansar municipality of southern Lebanon. The army’s statement on the US social media platform X described Alaa as being part of Hezbollah’s “Badder Unit,” and noted that the attack targeted a primary Hezbollah headquarters in response to Hezbollah activities against Israeli forces “in the Security Zone.”

According to Anadolu Agency, Hezbollah has yet to issue an official comment regarding the Israeli army’s statement. This incident is part of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which have seen a series of military actions and retaliations along the border.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported on Saturday that three Israeli soldiers sustained serious injuries in an attack allegedly executed by Hezbollah near the border. This has contributed to a surge in violence, as Israel intensifies its military operations against Lebanon.

The recent developments occur despite an existing Beirut-Tel Aviv framework agreement, which outlines a planned gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories and encourages ongoing negotiations between the two nations. However, Israel’s military campaign, which began on March 2, has persisted, resulting in significant casualties and displacement. Lebanese authorities report that the campaign has led to the deaths of at least 4,335 people, injured 12,277, and displaced over 1 million individuals.