Israel's attack on Beirut comes after two days of attacks that dealt a critical blow to Hezbollah in which communication devices like pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members exploded. It was the deadliest strike targeting the Lebanese capital since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, the Israeli military and two security sources in Lebanon said, sharply escalating the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah's operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, who served on the group's top military body, was killed alongside members of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Unit.

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM >> Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs today, the Israeli military and two security sources in Lebanon said, sharply escalating the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah says 16 members killed, including two senior leadersIsraeli officials say actions are part of new war phaseUN official calls for end to violence, citing

At least 31 people died in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday, the Lebanese health ministry said on Saturday, including three children and seven women, in the deadliest strike in a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan said on Friday around 150 rockets were fired from Lebanon across the border. Israeli ambulance service said there were no immediate reports of casualties. Lebanon's Hezbollah announced on Friday they launched seven separate attacks on Israeli targets with Katyusha rockets.

It's first Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital in months and came after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with rockets.

Amid fears of an expanding war in the Middle East following mass detonations of bombs surreptitiously planted in Hezbollah communication devices, Israel continued its assault of the Iran-backed militia overnight.