Israel’s military claimed it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on the group’s stronghold in southern Beirut on Friday, sharply escalating the conflict between the two sides and raising fears of all-out war. Ibrahim Aqil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was assassinated along with “about 10” other commanders, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. He accused Aqil and the commanders of planning to raid and occupy communities in Galilee in northern Israel. Hezbollah has not confirmed the deaths. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 12 people were killed and 59 others injured in the airstrike, which leveled a multistory building in a densely populated neighborhood. According to Hagari, the targeted commanders were “underground underneath a residential building in the heart of the Dahya neighborhood, using civilians as a human shield” at the time of the attack. Aqil had a $7 million bounty on his…
