Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike in Beirut on Monday targeting Hezbollah's southern front commander Ali Karaki, two Israeli officials said. Why it matters: Karaki is the most senior Hezbollah military commander after Israel assassinated Fuad Shukr in July and the group's head of military operations,

The past week has seen a dizzying escalation in the nearly yearlong conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The IDF refused to rule out a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as it launched a series of extensive air strikes in the country’s southern region.