Ibrahim Qubaisi, Hezbollah’s commander in charge of its rocket and missile forces, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed his death, stating that Qubaisi had been a central figure in Hezbollah’s missile capabilities for decades.The airstrike followed intense cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, with the militant group launching approximately 300 rockets at northern Israeli cities including Haifa, Safed, and Nazareth. Israeli air raid sirens were triggered across the Galilee region.In addition to Qubaisi, the IDF claimed that at least two other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in the strike. These leaders were involved in Hezbollah’s missile operations, which have increasingly posed a threat to Israel.Hezbollah acknowledged Qubaisi’s death, releasing a statement describing him as a martyr “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term they use for fighters killed by Israeli forces.A veteran of Hezbollah, Qubaisi joined the group in the 1980s. Over the years, he commanded various missile and rocket units, including the precision-guided missile program, and was deeply involved in Hezbollah’s military strategy against Israel. He had close ties with senior military leaders within the group.Qubaisi played a key role in Hezbollah’s 2000 Mount Dov operation, which involved the abduction of three Israeli soldiers. The soldiers were later found dead, and their bodies were returned in a 2004 prisoner exchange. His involvement in that high-profile attack cemented his status within Hezbollah’s military wing.The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the airstrike on the Dahiyeh suburb also killed six civilians and injured 15 others. This is part of a broader escalation that has claimed hundreds of lives in Lebanon in recent days, mostly due to Israeli airstrikes.Tuesday’s missile exchange follows a surge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. There are growing concerns that this could spiral into a full-blown war involving multiple fronts in the Middle East, drawing in Iran-backed groups from Yemen and Iraq.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that Lebanon is on the brink of disaster, while US President Joe Biden urged both sides to avoid escalating the conflict.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained defiant, vowing to continue striking Hezbollah’s military targets in Lebanon. “We will continue to hit Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared, stating that any home sheltering missiles would be destroyed.
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