The Israel-Hezbollah conflict

Analysis: Israel is increasing the pressure – and the risk of backlash

Israel is playing a very risky game in Lebanon, writes the New York Times' Patrick Kingsley in an analytical text. The last week's attacks are a sharp escalation with the aim of making Hezbollah back down, he believes.

"At the same time, it increases the risk of the opposite outcome: a more aggressive response from Hezbollah that degenerates into full-scale war."

In Al Jazeera, Justin Salhani writes that there is no doubt that Hezbollah will respond to the last week's Israeli attacks. The question is how and when.

And predicting how they will act is not necessarily easy, writes Tamara Qiblawi on CNN.

"Hezbollah - which literally means the party of God - has been shaken, and forced into a new reality where they are more vulnerable than they ever thought."

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Israel: Killed Hezbollah commander planned attack similar to October 7

Israel's military says Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed in today's airstrike against Beirut, writes Sky News.

According to the military, Aqil was part of a group planning an attack on Israel "similar to the one carried out by Hamas on October 7".

Hezbollah has not confirmed the death, or any attack plans.

According to the New York Times, Ibrahim Aqil has been wanted by the United States for decades, suspected of involvement in several bombings in the 80s. The newspaper also reports that Aqil survived several previous Israeli attempts to kill him.

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Beirut residents: If they think they can silence us, they think wrong

Residents of Beirut are reacting to today's Israeli attack with shock, sadness - and anger. This is reported by several media.

31-year-old Sara Farhat tells the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient Today that the past week has meant "more emotional shocks than we have time to handle", but also that anger against Israel is growing in Lebanon.

- If they think they can silence us in this way, they think wrong. They only make our anger stronger.

At the same time, SVT's foreign reporter Stina Blomberg reports that the people she spoke to in Beirut are primarily concerned that the conflict with Israel will continue to escalate.

- We have been out and talked to people in Beirut today. None of them speak of revenge. Rather, people want a de-escalation of hostilities.