Hamas says Israel’s killing of Hezbollah commander will have ‘consequences’

Fighters of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, display their combat weapons in Maghazi camp July 19, 2023 [Ahmed Hasaballah/Getty Images]

Hamas on Saturday condemned the Israeli killing of Hezbollah military commander Ibrahim Aqil, calling it a “foolish act that will have consequences,” Anadolu Agency reports.

The assassination took place in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb on Friday.

On Friday, the Israeli army claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it targeted Aqil along with other senior Hezbollah commanders.

Hezbollah confirmed the death of Aqil as well as of its military commander Ahmed Wahbi and 14 other fighters.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the death toll from Friday’s airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb has risen to 31.

The airstrike occurred amid a new wave of Israeli escalation in Lebanon, with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announcing Thursday that the conflict with Hezbollah has entered “a new phase.”

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