Wed Sep 25 10:11:24 UTC 2024: ## Hezbollah Commander Killed in Israeli Air Strike as Lebanon Faces New Crisis
**Beirut, Lebanon** – The escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon took a grim turn on Wednesday as Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, confirmed the death of one of its top commanders, Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, also known as “Hajj Abu Musa.”
Qubaisi, responsible for leading Hezbollah’s missile and rocket units, was reportedly killed in an Israeli air strike on Ghobeiri in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israeli officials confirmed they had targeted Qubaisi, blaming him for a 2000 attack in which three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and killed.
The air strike, which killed six people and injured 15, has further heightened tensions in Lebanon, already reeling from Israeli bombardment since Monday. At least 569 people have been killed and 1,835 injured across Lebanon, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Thousands of Lebanese are fleeing the south, heading north towards Beirut, as the situation remains precarious. “It’s a very tense atmosphere, a lot of people are very worried,” said Al Jazeera’s Oliver Marsden reporting from Beirut.
The conflict, which started with low-level skirmishes following Israel’s war on Gaza in October, escalated last week after Hezbollah members were targeted by pagers and walkie-talkies. Since then, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets into Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the escalating conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressing grave concern, warned that Lebanon is “at the brink” and urged for de-escalation.
“We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” Guterres stated.
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