Israeli army claims assassination of senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike

The Israeli army claimed Friday that Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the commander of Hezbollah's communications unit, was "assassinated in a targeted airstrike" on Beirut on Thursday.

In a statement, the Israeli army claimed that Sakafi, a senior figure in the Lebanese group, was killed in a "precise, intelligence-based strike."

Sakafi had reportedly played a critical role in maintaining and upgrading the communication infrastructure that connects Hezbollah's various military wings, enhancing the group's operational capabilities over the past two decades.

His death, if confirmed, represents a significant blow to Hezbollah's organizational and tactical communication systems.

Hezbollah has yet to comment on the claim.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start last year of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,800 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

In Israeli attacks in Lebanon, at least 1,947 people have since been killed, nearly 9,400 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.