The Israeli military said on Sunday that it had killed a senior commander of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in a targeted strike, after Lebanon's Health Ministry reported at least 11 dead in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
The commander, Hassan Alaa, was struck on Saturday during an attack in Deir al-Zahrani in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Lebanese officials reported four dead and 17 wounded in the town.
Hezbollah had not issued an official statement on the killing of the commander at the time of reporting.
A statement from the Israeli military said the attack was a "response to an action that the Hezbollah terrorist organization executed against IDF soldiers who operated in the Security Zone." Three Israeli soldiers had been seriously injured in the attack by a drone laden with explosives at the Ali al-Taher Pass.
According to the IDF, Alaa had previously been involved in several attacks against Israeli soldiers, including launching explosive drones towards troops in southern Lebanon. The claims cannot be independently verified.
The Health Ministry in Beirut said on Saturday that at least 11 people were killed and 19 wounded in two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam wrote on X that the strikes were an "extremely serious matter" that undermined efforts to stabilize the situation.
Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah regularly accuse each other of violating a ceasefire. The Israeli military says it has unilaterally established a "security zone" in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.