Hezbollah Spokesman Mohammed Afif Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Central Beirut

In a significant escalation of violence, Mohammed Afif, the main spokesman for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on central Beirut, marking the first such strike on the Lebanese capital in over a month. The airstrike comes amid continued Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, which have also claimed the lives of 12 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. Afif had become increasingly prominent following Israel's military actions in September and the assassination of Hezbollah's former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli strike. Meanwhile, tensions also flared in Israel, with police arresting three suspects after flares were fired at Prime Minister Netanyahu's residence.