Hezbollah confirms the death of one of its top commanders, Ibrahim Kobeisi

Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its top commanders, Ibrahim Kobeisi, who was killed in an Israeli strike in a southern Beirut suburb.

The strike hit three floors of a six-story building. It was Israel's third strike over Beirut in less than a week

Kobeissi is the first member of the militant group pronounced dead since Israel and Hezbollah entered a more intense phase of the ongoing conflict.

Israel said Kobeisi was a top Hezbollah commander with the group's rocket and missile unit. Israeli military officials said Kobeisi was responsible for launches towards Israel and planned a 2000 attack in which three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and killed.

It was the latest in a string of assassinations and setbacks for Hezbollah, the strongest political and military actor in Lebanon and widely considered the top paramilitary force in the Arab world.