Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.

Ibrahim Aqil, the second-in-command of Hezbollah, has been killed in a “targeted” airstrike in Beirut, Israel’s military confirmed.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) says that it also struck "a weapons storage facility in multiple areas in southern Lebanon" which it claims contained "approximately 150 launcher barrels that were ready to fire projectiles toward Israeli territory".