00:00 In a targeted strike on south Lebanon, Israel has killed a top commander of the Hezbollah
00:08 group, Wissam Hassan Tawin.
00:11 The incident has raised concerns about the potential expansion of the conflict beyond
00:16 Gaza.
00:17 Tensions along the Lebanon border have been escalating, with both sides exchanging strikes.
00:22 The situation has been further fuelled by an attack on a sensitive air traffic base
00:27 in northern Israel by Hezbollah, marking one of the most significant attacks in three months.
00:33 The recent wave of strikes and counter-strikes follows the killing of a senior Hamas leader
00:39 in Beirut last week.
00:41 Hezbollah has described its rocket barrage as an initial response to the death of Hamas's
00:46 deputy political leader Saleh Aruri.
00:49 As for the Israeli strike, it targeted an SUV and resulted in the death of Wissam Hassan
00:54 Tawin, a commander in a secretive Hezbollah force operating along the border.
00:59 According to reports, Tawin is the highest-ranking militant within the group to be killed since
01:05 the conflict erupted following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7.
01:11 Turning the attention to Gaza, Israel has declared the conclusion of major operations
01:15 in northern Gaza, shifting its focus to the central region and the southern city of Khan
01:21 Yunis.
01:22 The Israeli government anticipates continued fighting for several more months as it seeks
01:26 to dismantle Hamas and retrieve hostages taken during the October 7 attack.
01:32 The toll on civilians in Gaza has been devastating, with over 23,000 Palestinians killed and nearly
01:38 85 per cent of the enclave's population, amounting to 2.3 million people, displaced.
01:44 Internationally, efforts are being made to prevent the conflict from spreading further.
01:49 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has engaged with leaders from Jordan and Qatar, emphasising
01:55 the need for Israel to adjust its military operations to minimise harm to civilians.
02:01 The primary goal is to prevent the widening of the war and promote a more sustainable
02:05 solution to the ongoing crisis.
02:07 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast
