Israel has struck Lebanon’s capital for the first time since June, saying it killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff and warning the Iran-backed militant group not to rearm and rebuild

Israel has escalated its campaign on targets it says are linked to Hezbollah, raising fears of a resumption of hostilities.

Elsewhere, Israel is continuing strikes on what it says are Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and on Sunday launched an airstrike in the capital Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces is also continuing raids in parts of the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Beirut on Sunday in an attempt to assassinate Hezbollah top commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Why it matters: This is the most significant Israeli strike against Hezbollah leaders since the ceasefire reached a year ago and the first time Israel has struck Beirut in five months.

A senior Hezbollah leader described as the group’s “chief of staff” was the target of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Sunday, according to Israeli officials. The strike, which hit the Dahieh district,

The Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah’s second most senior figure in the first air strikes in months on southern Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff,