Israel launches airstrike south of Beirut

The Israeli military said early Tuesday that it had conducted a strike on the southern outskirts of Beirut, the second attack near Lebanon’s capital in less than a week.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire in November, raising hopes that Lebanon’s deadliest war in decades could be over. But the recent strikes have prompted fears that the truce could unravel.

The Israeli military said the latest strike, in the Dahiya area in Beirut’s southern suburbs, had targeted a member of Hezbollah who had directed and assisted Hamas in planning a “significant and imminent” attack against Israel.

Israel attacked because the person posed an “immediate threat,” the military said on social media. It added that the Dahiya area was a key stronghold for Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and political party backed by Iran.